5 en Qa * oe oe ——~ ee as cy a a wa 
SN ee — Siena et ee ee Se Ee arte gene, 
Fe ee ne mt — — ee shea pone oe ae a NS — ee nn a Oy ON BEM Lali age we - 

ees a a — Sg tr A ag ae re ara = er nae a 
eT ry oe rere S <iingpinanes enema anette liens emanate linens oteemaiaeatt i eeeprnpap eee en ian eee ate Serra 
Dok ine FT ee —< Seamanr ore. oo an a re ee 
th yy ae Nae Te SS eS een Sr a tetera ap gpeminnnee op — nena agar eaten one emenen 
ng het te oe a _ _— See tee Fe Sy Re ere ai 5 yee a eat ee Dye ee ee ete: ee mag Guat — 
— eee 9 so em oe eS ee Te =~ — 
—S Pees SS Ss a ee, 


— ——t5 


--" » 


DUKE 
UNIVERSITY 


DIVINITY SCHOOL 
LIBRARY 


GTRONG Son of God, Immortal Love, 
Whom we, that have not seen Thy face, 
By faith, and faith alone embrace, 
Believing where we cannot prove. 


* * * * . 
Thou seemest human and divine, 

The highest, holiest manhood Thou ; 

Our wills are ours, we know not how, 
Our wills are ours to make them Thine. 


* * * * * 
O Living Will that shalt endure, 
When all that seems shall suffer shock, 
Rise in the spiritual Rock, 
Flow through our deeds and make them pure. 


That we may lift, from out the dust, 
A voice as unto Him that hears, 
A cry above the conquered years, 

To one that with us works, and trust 


With faith that comes of self-control 
The truths that never can be proved, 
Until we close with all we loved 

And all we flow from,-soul in soul. 


TENNYSON. 


Golden Treasurp Series 


a 
THEOLOGIA GERMANICA 


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Theologta Germantca 


TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN 


BY 


SUSANNA WINKWORTH 


Loudon 
MACMILLAN AND CO.,, Limrrep 


NEW YORK: THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 


1907 


First published as a volume of the Golden Treasury Series 
in 1874. New Edition 1893 
Reprinted 1901, 1907 


Der Franck£o: Tey 
Theologia Germanieca : 


Wbich setteth forth many fair Lineaments of 
Bibine Truth, and saith very {lofty and 
fobely things touching a 
perfect Life 


EDITED BY DR. PFEIFFER’ FROM THE ONLY 
COMPLETE MANUSCRIPT 
YET KNOWN 


TRANSLATED FROM THE GERMAN BY 


SUSANNA WINKWORTH 


With a Prerace By THE Rev. CHARLES KINGSLEY 
Rector or Everstty, AND A LETTER TO THE TRANSLATOR BY THE 


Cuevaier Bunsen, D.D., D.C.L., etc. 


London 
MACMILLAN AND CoO., LiuitEp 


NEW YORK: THE MACMILLAN COMPANY 


1907 


x Theologia Germanica 


wrong, or that the God of truth will 
stoop to fictions (miscalled forensic) 
which would be considered false and un- 
just in any human court of law: To 
those who cannot help trusting that 
union with Christ must be something 
real and substantial, and not merely a: 
metaphor, and a flower of rhetoric: To 
those, lastly, who cannot help seeing 
that the doctrine of Christ in every man, 
as the Indwelling Word of God, The 
Light who lights every one who comes 
into the world, is no peculiar tenet of 
the Quakers, but one which runs through 
the whole of the Old and New Testa- 
ments, and without which they would 
both be unintelligible, just as the same 
doctrine runs through the whole history 
of the Early Church for the first two 
centuries, and is the only explanation of 
them ; 


Preface xl 


To all these this noble little book 
will recommend itself; and may God 
bless the reading of it to them, and to 
all others no less. 

As for its orthodoxy; to “evan- 
gelical” Christians Martin Luther’s own 
words ought™“to be sufficient warrant. 
For he has said that he owed more to 
this, than to any other book, saving the 
Bible and Saint Augustine. Those, on 
the other hand, to whom Luther’s name 
does not seem a sufficient guarantee, 
must recollect, that the Author of this 
book was a knight of the Teutonic 
order ; one who considered himself, and 
was considered, as far as we know, by 
his contemporaries, an orthodox member 
of the Latin Church; that his friends 
and disciples were principally monks exer- 
cising a great influence in the Catholic 
Church of their days; that one of their 


357773 


a 


Xl Theologia Germanica 


leaders was appointed by Pope John 
XXII. Nuncio and overseer of the 
Dominican order in Germany ; and that 
during the hundred and seventy years 
which elapsed between the writing of 
this book and the Reformation, it in- 
curred no ecclesiastical censure whatso- 
ever, in generations which were but too 
fond of making men offenders for a 
word. 

Not that I agree with all which is to 
be found in this book. It is for its noble 
views of righteousness and of sin that I 
honour it, and rejoice at seeing it pub- 
lished in English, now for the first time 
from an edition based on the perfect 
manuscript. But even in those points 
in which I should like to see it altered, 
I am well aware that there are strong 
authorities against me. The very ex- 
pression, for instance, which most 


Preface Xill 


startles me, ‘“vergottet,” deified or 
made divine, is used, word for word, 
both by Saint Athanase and Saint Augus- 
tine, the former of whom has said: “ He 
became man, that we might be made 
ioda;”* and the latter, “‘He called 
men Gods, as being deified by His grace, 
not as born of His substance.”? There 
are many passages, moreover, in the 
Epistles of the Apostles, which, if we 
paraphrase them at all, we can hardly 
paraphrase in weaker words. It seems 
to me safer and wiser to cling to the 
letter of Scripture : but God forbid that 
I should wish to make such a man as the 
Author of the Theologia Germanica an 
offender for a word ! 

1 Abrds éxqvOpdmnoer Wa huets OeomonP@uev.— A THAN. 
Orat. de Incarn. Verbi, tom. i. page 108. 


2 “Homines dixit Deos, ex gratia sua deificatos; non de 
substantia sua natos.’—Auvc. in Psalm, xlix. (Ed. Bened. 


tom. iv. page 414.) 


Xiv Theologia Germanica 


One point more may be worthy of 
remark. In many obscure passages of | 
this book, words are used, both by the 
Author and by the Translator, in their 
strict, original, and scientific meaning, as 
they are used in the Creeds, and not in 
that meaning which has of late crept 
into our very pulpits, under the influence 
of Locke’s philosophy. When, for 
instance, it is said that God is the Sud- 
stance of all things; this expression, in 
the vulgar Lockite sense of substance, 
would mean that God is the matter 
or stuff of which all things are made ; 
which would be the grossest Pantheism : 
but “‘Substance” in the true and ancient 
meaning of the word, as it appears in 
the Athanasian Creed, signifies the very 
opposite; namely, that which stands 
under the appearance and the matter ; 
that by virtue of which a thing has its 


—e 


Preface XV 


form, its life, its real existence, as far as 
it may have any ; and thus in asserting 
that God is the substance of all things, 
this book means that everything (except 
sin, which is no thing, but the disease 


and fall of a thing) is a thought of 


| 
2 
. 


God. 

So again with Eternity. It will be 
found in this book to mean not merely 
some future endless duration, but that \ 
ever-jrresent moral world, governed by 
ever-living and absolutely necessary laws, 
in which we and all spirits are now; 
and in which we should be equally, 
whether time and space, extension and 
duration, and the whole material universe 
to which they belong, became nothing 
this moment, or lasted endlessly. 

I think it necessary to give these 
cautions, because by the light of Locke’s 
philosophy, little or nothing will be 


XV1 Theologia Germanica 


discerned in this book, and what little is 
discerned will probably be utterly mis- 
understood. If any man wishes to see 
clearly what is herein written, let him 
try to forget all popular modern dogmas 
and systems, all popular philosophies 
(falsely so called), and be true to the 
letter of his Bible, and to the instincts 


~ which the Indwelling Word of God was 


wont to awaken in his heart, while he 
was yet a little unsophisticated child ; 
and then let him be sure that he will 
find in this book germs of wider and 
deeper wisdom than its good author ever 


' dreamed of ; and that those great spirit- 


ual laws, which the Author only applies, 
and that often inconsistently, to an ascetic 
and passively contemplative life, will 
hold just as good in the family, in the 
market, in the senate, in the study, ay, 
in the battlefield itself; and teach him 


' Preface xvii 
the way to lead, in whatsoever station of 
_ life he may be placed, a truly manlike, 
_ because a truly Christlike and Godlike, 
life. 


CuHarRves KINGSLEY. 


Torquay, 
Lent, 1854. 


: 
: 
: 
| 
| 


froues 


s, 


° 


HISTORICAL INTRODUCTION 


BY THE TRANSLATOR 


<|HE Treatise before us was dis- 
covered by Luther, who first 
brought it into notice by an 
Edition of it which he published in 1516. 


’ A Second Edition, which came out two 


years later, he introduced with the follow- 
ing Preface :— 

“We read that St. Paul, though he 
was of a weak and contemptible presence, 
yet wrote weighty and powerful letters, 
and he boasts of himself that his ‘ speech 
is not with enticing words of man’s 


device,’ but ‘full of the riches of all 
b 


xX Theologia Germanica 


knowledge and wisdom.’ And if we 
\ consider the wondrous ways of God, it is 
clear, that He hath never chosen mighty 
and eloquent preachers to speak His 
word, but as it is written: ‘Out of the 
mouths of babes and sucklings hast thou 
perfected praise,’ Ps. vill. 2. And again, 
‘For wisdom opened the mouth of the 
dumb, and made the tongues of them 
that cannot speak eloquent, Wisdom x. 
21. Again, He blameth such as are 
high-minded and are offended at these 
simple ones. Consilium inopis, etc. ‘Ye 
have made a mock at the counsel of the 
poor, because he putteth his trust in the 
I4ord,’ Ps: x1v..'6. 

« This I say because I will have every 
one warned who readeth this little book, 
that he should not take offence, to his 
own hurt, at its bad German, or its 
crabbed and uncouth words. For this 


Historical Introduction XX1 


noble book, though it be poor and rude 
in words, is so much the richer and 
more precious in knowledge and divine 
wisdom. And I will say, though it 
be boasting of myself and ‘I speak 
as a fool,’ that next to the Bible and 
St. Augustine, no book hath ever come 
into my hands, whence I have learnt, 
or would wish to learn more of what 
God, and Christ, and man and all things 
are #and now I first find the truth of 
what certain of the learned have said 
in scorn of us theologians of Wittem- 
berg, that we would be thought to put 
forward new things, as though there had 
never been men elsewhere and before our 
time. Yea, verily, there have been men, 
but God’s wrath, provoked by our sins, 
hath not judged us worthy to see and 
hear them ; for it is well known that for 
along time past such things have not 


XXil Theologia Germanica 


been treated of in our universities ; nay, 
it has gone so far, that the Holy Word 
of God is not only laid on the shelf, but 
is almost mouldered away with dust and 
moths. Let as many as will, read this 
little book, and then say whether 
Theology is a new or an old thing 
among us; for this book is not new. 
But if they say as before, that we are but 
German theologians, we will not deny it. 
I thank God, that I have heard and 
found my God in the German tongue, as 
neither I nor they have yet found Him in 
the Latin, Greek, or Hebrew tongue. 
God grant that this book may be spread 
abroad, then we shall find that the Ger- 
man theologians are without doubt the 
best theologians. 
(Signed, without date, ) 
“Dr. Martin LutTuHeEr, 
AucustTInian of Wittemberg.” 


Historical Introduction XXiil 


These words of Luther will probably 
be considered to form a sufficient justifica- 
tion for an attempt to present the Theo- 
logia Germanica in an English dress. 
When Luther sent it forth, its effort to 
revive the consciousness of spiritual life 
was received with enthusiasm by his 
fellow-countrymen, in whom that life 
was then breaking with volcanic energy 
through the clods of formalism and 
hypocrisy, with which the Romish 
Church had sought to stifle its fires. No 
fewer than seventeen editions of the work 
appeared during the lifetime of Luther. 
Up to the present day, it has continued 
to be a favourite handbook of devotion 
in Germany, where it has passed through 
certainly as many as sixty Editions, and it 
has also been widely circulated in France 
and the Netherlands, by means of Latin, 
' French, and Flemish translations. 


XXIV Theologia Germanica 


To the question, who was the author 
of a book which has exerted so great an 
influence? no answer can be given, all the 
various endeavours to discover him 
having proved fruitless. Till within the 
last few years, Luther was our sole 
authority for the text of the work, but, 
about 1850, a manuscript of it was dis— 
covered at Wurtzburg, by Professor 
Reuss, the librarian of the University 
there, which has since been published 
verbatim by Professor Pfeiffer of Prague. 
This Manuscript dates from 1497 3 con- 
sequently it is somewhat older than 
Luther’s time, and it also contains some 
passages not found in his editions. As, 
upon careful comparison, it seemed to 
the translator indisputably superior to 
the best modern editions based upon 
Luther’s, it has been selected as the 
groundwork of the present translation, 


Historical Introduction XXV 


merely correcting from the former, one 
or two passages which appeared to con- 
tain errors of the press, or more likely of 
the transcriber’s pen. The passages not 
found in Luther’s edition are here en- 
closed between brackets. 

As has been stated, the author of 
the Theologia Germanica is unknown ; 
but it is evident from his whole cast 
of thought, as well as from a Preface 
attached to the Wurtzburg Manu- 
script, that he belonged to a class of 
men who sprang up in Southern Ger- 
many at the beginning of the fourteenth 
century, and who were distinguished for 
their earnest piety and their practical 


_———- 


belief in the presence of the Spirit of © 


God with all Christians, laity as well as 
clergy. 

These men had fallen upon evil times. 
Their age was not indeed one of those 


XXV1 Theologia Germantca 


periods in which the vigour of the nobler 
powers of the soul is enfeebled by the 
abundance of material prosperity and 
physical enjoyment, nor yet one of those 
in which they are utterly crushed out 
under the hoof of oppression and misery ; 
but it was an age in which conflicting 
elements were wildly struggling for the 
mastery. The highest spiritual and 
temporal authorities were at deadly strife 
with each other and among themselves ; 
and in their contests, there were few pro- 
vinces or towns that did not repeatedly 
suffer the horrors of war. The deso- 
lation caused by its ravages was however 
speedily repaired during the intervals of 
peace, by the extraordinary energy which 
the German nation displayed in that 
bloom of its manhood ; so that times of 
deep misery and great prosperity rapidly 
alternated with each other. But on the 


Historical Introduction xxvii 


whole, during the first half of this century, 
the sense of the calamities, which were 
continually recurring, predominated over 
the recollection of the calmer years, 
which were barely sufficient to allow 
breathing time between the successive 
waves that threatened to overwhelm 
social order and happiness. 

The unquestioning faith and honest 
enthusiasm which had prompted the 
Crusades, no longer burnt with the same 
fierce ardour, for the unhappy issue of 
those sacred enterprises, and the scandal- 
ous worldly ambition of the heads of the 
Church, had moderated its fervour and 
saddened the hearts of true believers. 
Yet the one Catholic, Christian creed 
still held an undivided and very real 
sovereignty over men’s minds, and the 
supremacy of the Church in things 
spiritual was never questioned, though 


XXVill Theologia Germanica 


many were beginning to feel that it was 
needful for the State to have an inde- 
pendent authority in things temporal, and 
the question was warmly agitated how 
much of the spiritual authority resided in 
the Pope and how much in the bishops 
and doctors of the Church. But in which- 
ever way the dispute between these rival 
claims might be adjusted, the reverence 
for the office of the clergy remained unim- 
paired. The case was very different with 
the reverence for their persons, which had 
fallen to a very low ebb, owing to the 
worldliness and immorality of their lives. 
This again was much encouraged by the 
conduct of the Popes, who, in their zeal 
to establish worldly dominion, made 
ecclesiastical appointments rather with a 
view to gain political adherents, or to 
acquire wealth by the sale of benefices, 
than with a regard to the fitness of the 


. Historical Introduction XXIX 


men selected, or the welfare of the people 
committed to their charge. 

On the whole, it was an age of faith, 
though by no means of a blind, unreason- 
ing taking things for granted. On the 
contrary, the evidences of extreme activity 
of mind meet us on every hand, in the 
monuments of its literature, architecture, 
and invention. A few facts strikingly 
illustrate the divergent tendencies of 
thought and public opinion. Thus we 
may remember, how it was currently 
reported that the profligate Pope Boni- 
face VIII. was privately an unbeliever, 
even deriding the idea of the immortality 
of the soul, at the very time when he 
was maintaining against Philip the Fair, 
the right of the Pope to sit, as Christ’s 
representative, in judgment on the living 
and the dead, and to take the sword 
of temporal power out of the hands of 


XXX Theologia Germanica 5 


those who misused it.1 Whether this 
accusation was true or not, it is a remark- 
able sign of the times that it should have 
been widely believed. 

Some years later, and when the in- 
creased corruptness of the clergy, after 
the removal of the Papal Court to 
Avignon, provoked still louder com- 
plaints, we see the religious and patriotic 
Emperor, Louis IV., accusing John XXII. 
of heresy, in a public assembly held in 
the square of St. Peter’s at Rome, and 
setting up another Pope “in order to 
please the Roman people.” But though 
the new Pope was every way fitted, by 
his unblemished character and ascetic 
manners, to gain a hold on public esteem, 
we see that the Emperor could not main- 


1 Neander’s “ Kirchengeschichte,’” Band 6, S. 15,20. This 
work and Schmitz’s “ Fohannes Tauler von Strasburg,” are the 
authorities for most of the facts here mentioned. 


Historical Introduction XXXi 


tain him against the legitimately elected 
Pope, who, from his seat at Avignon, had 
power to harass the Emperor so greatly 
with his interdicts, that the latter, finding 
all efforts at conciliation fruitless, would 
have bought peace by unconditional sub- 
mission, had not the Estates of the 
Empire refused to yield to such humilia- 
tion. Yet we find this very Pope 
obliged to yield and retract his opinions 
on a point of dogmatic theology. He 
had in a certain treatise propounded the 
opinion that the souls of the pious would 
not be admitted to the immediate vision 
of the Deity until after the day of 
judgment. The King of France, in 
1333, called an assembly of Prelates and 
theologians at his palace at Vincennes, 
where he invited them to discuss before 
him the two questions, whether the souls 
of departed saints would be admitted to 


XXXI1 Theologia Germanica 


an immediate vision of the Deity before 
the resurrection; and whether, if so, 
their vision would be of the same or of a 
different kind after the Judgment Day? 
The theological faculty having come to 
conclusions differing in some respects 
from those of the Pope, the King 
threatened the latter with the stake as a 
heretic, unless he retracted; and John 
XXII. issued a bull, declaring that what 
he had said or written, ought only to be 
received in so far as it agreed with the 
Catholic Faith, the Church\and Holy 

Scripture. No circumstance, perhaps, . 
offers a more remarkable spectacle to us 
in its contrast with the spirit of our own 
times. At the present moment, when 
the Pope could not sit for a day in safety 
on his temporal throne without the 
defence of French or Austrian bayonets, 
we can scarcely conceive an Emperor of 


Historical Introduction  xxxiii 


France or Austria taking upon himself 
to convene an assembly of Catholic 
theologians, and the latter pronouncing a 
censure on the dogmas propounded by 
the Head of the Church! It would be 
hard to say whether the Sovereigns of the 
present day would be more amused by 
the absurdity of devoting their time to 
such discussions, or the consciences of 
good Catholics more shocked at the 
presumption of such a verdict. 

Still it must not be forgotten that the 
importance of religious affairs in that age 
must not be ascribed too exclusively to 
earnestness about religion itself, for the 
ecclesiastical interest predominated over 
the purely religious. The Pope and the 
Emperor represented the two great 
antagonistic powers, spiritual and tem- 
poral, the rivalry between which absorbed 
into itself all the political and social 


XXXIV Theologia Germanica 


questions that could then be agitated. 
The question of allegiance to the Pope 
or the Emperor was like the contest 
between royalism and republicanism ; the 
Ghibelline called himself a patriot, and 
was called by his adversary, the Guelf, a 
worldly man or even an infidel, while he 
retorted by calling the Guelf a betrayer 
of his country, and an enemy of national 
liberties. 

We cannot help seeing, however, that 
in those days both princes and people, 
wicked as their lives often were, did 
really believe in the Christian religion, 
and that while much of the mythological 
and much of the formalistic element 
mingled in their zeal for outward obsery- 
ances, there was also much thoroughly 
sincere enthusiasm among them. But both 
the two great powers oppressed the people, 
which looked alternately to the one side 


Historical Introduction XXXV 


or the other for emancipation from the 
particular grievances felt to be most gall- 
ing at any given moment or place. In 
the frightful moral and physical condition 
of society, it was no wonder that a despair 
of Providence should have begun to 
attack some minds, which led to material- 
istic scepticism, while others sought for 
help on the path of wild speculation. 
The latter appears to have been the case 
with the Beghards or “Brothers and 
Sisters of the Free Spirit,” who attempted 
to institute a reform by withdrawing: the 
people altogether from the influence of 
the clergy, but whose followers after a 
time too often fell into the vices of the 
priests from whom they had separated 
themselves. In 1317, we find the 
Bishop of Ochsenstein complaining that 
Alsace was filled with these Beghards, 
who appear to have been a kind of anti- 


c 


XXXVI Theologia Germanica 


nomian pantheists, teaching that the 
Spirit is bound by no Jaw, and annihilat- 
ing the distinction between the Creator 
and the creature. Both in their excel- 
lences and defects they remind us of the 
modern ‘‘German Catholics,’ and of 
some, too, of the recent Protestant 
schools in Germany. There seems to 
have been no party of professed un- 
believers, but that some individuals were 
such in word as well as deed, appears 
from what Ruysbroch of Brussels,’ (1 300- 
1330) says of those “ who live in mortal 
sin, not troubling themselves about God 
or His grace, but thinking virtue’ sheer 
nonsense, and the spiritual life hypocrisy 
or delusion ; and hearing with disgust all 
mention of God or virtue, for they are : 
persuaded that there is no such thing as 
God, or Heaven, or Hell; for they ac- 


1 As quoted by Neander. Kirchengeschichte, B. 6, S. 769 


Historical Introduction xxxvii 


knowledge nothing but what is palpable 
to the senses.” 

The early part of the fourteenth 
century saw Germany divided for nine 
years between the rival claims of two 
Emperors, Frederick of Austria, sup- 
ported by Pope John XXII. and a 
faction in Germany, and Louis of 
Bavaria, whose cause was espoused by a 
majority of the princes of the Empire, as 
that of the defender of the dignity and 
independence of the State, and the 
champion of reform within the Church. 
The death of Frederick, in 1322, left 
Louis the undisputed Emperor, as far as 
nearly all his subjects were concerned, 
and he would fain have purchased peace 
with the Pope on any reasonable terms, 
that he might apply himself to the 
internal improvement of his dominions ; 
but John XXII. was implacable, and 


xxxvill  Theologia Germanica 


continued to wage against him and his 
adherents a deadly warfare, not closed 
until his successor Charles IV. submitted 
to all the papal demands, and to every 
indignity imposed upon him. 

One of the most fearful consequences 
of the enmity between John XXII. and — 
Louis of Bavaria, to the unfortunate © 
subjects of the latter, was the Interdict 
under which his dominions were laid in 
1324, and from which some places, 
distinguished for their loyalty to the 
Emperor, were not relieved for six-and- 
twenty years. Louis, indeed, desired his 
subjects to pay no regard to the bull of 
excommunication, and most of the laity, 
especially of the larger towns, would 
gladly have obeyed him in spite of the 
Pope; but the greater part of the 
bishops and clergy held with their 
spiritual head, and thus the inhabitants 


Historical Introduction XXX1X 


of Strasburg, Nuremberg, and other 
cities, where the civil authorities sided 
with the Emperor, and the clergy with 
the Pope, were left year after year with- 
out any religious privileges ; for public 
worship ceased, and all the business of 
life went on without the benedictions of 
the Church, no rite being allowed but 
baptism and extreme unction. 

After this had lasted sixteen years, 
the Emperor, wishing to relieve the 
anguished consciences of his people, 
issued, in conjunction with the Princes 
of the Empire, a great manifesto to all 
Christendom, refuting the Pope’s accusa- 
tions against him, maintaining that he 
who had been legally chosen by the 
Electors was, in virtue thereof, the 
rightful Emperor, and had received his 
dignity from God, and proclaiming that 
all who denied this were guilty of high 


xl Theologia Germanica 


treason ; that therefore none should be 
allowed any longer to observe the Inter- 
dict, and all who should continue to do 
so, whether communities or individuals, 
should be deprived of every civil and 
ecclesiastical right and privilege. This 
courageous edict found a response in the 
heart of the nation, and public opinion 
continually declared itself more strongly 
on the side of the Emperor. Yet on the 
whole it rather increased the general 
anarchy ; for in many places the priests and 
monks were steadfast in their allegiance to 
the Pope, and, refusing to administer public 
service, were altogether banished from the 
towns, and the churches and convents 
closed. In Strasburg, for instance, where 
the regular clergy had long since ceased to 
perform religious .rites, the Dominicans 
and Franciscans had continued to preach 
and perform mass; but now they too, 


Historical Introduction xii 


frightened by the Edict, which placed 
them in direct opposition to the Pope, 
dared no longer to disregard the renewed 
sentence of excommunication hanging 
over them, and refusing to read mass, 
were expelled by the Town Council. 
Many of these banished clergy wandered 
about in great distress, with difficulty 
finding refuge among the scattered rural 
population, and the sufferings they 
endured proved the sincerity of their 
conscientious scruples. Some few, either 
from worldly motives, or out of pity for 
the people, remained at their posts. 
The former indeed throve by the 
miseries of their fellow-creatures, driving 
a usurious trade in the famine of spiritual 
consolation ; for it is upon record, that 
in time of pestilence, the price of shrift 
has been as much as sixty florins! 

The spectacle of such discord between 


xlii Theologia Germanica 


the clergy and the laity was something 
unspeakably shocking to the Christian — 
world in that age, and the energetic pro- 
ceedings of the magistracy must have 
utterly staggered the faith of many. Of 
all the events that were stirring up men’s 
passions and energies, none was more 
calculated to move their souls to the very 
centre, than to find themselves compelled 
to stand up in arms against those whom 
they had been wont to bow down before, 
and to reverence as the source of those 
‘spiritual blessings, for the sake of which 
they were now driven in desperation to 
take this awful step. 

To these political and religious dissen- 
sions were added, in process of time, other 
miseries. After it had been preceded by 
earthquakes, hurricanes and famine, the 
Black Death broke out, spreading terror 
and desolation through Southern Europe. © 


Historical Introduction xiii 


Men saw in these frightful calamities the 
judgments of God, but looked in vain for 
any to show them a way of deliverance 
and escape. Some believed that the last 
day was approaching ; some, remember- 
ing an old prophecy, looked with hope 
‘for the return of the Great Emperor 
Frederick II. to restore justice and peace 
in the world, to punish the wicked clergy, 
and help the poor and oppressed flock to 
their rights. Others traversed the country 
in processions, scourging themselves and 
praying with a loud voice, in order to 
atone for their sins and appease God’s 
anger, and inveighing against man’s un- 
belief, which had called down God’s 
wrath upon the earth; while some 
thought to do God service, by wreaking 
vengeance on the people which had slain 
the Lord, and thousands of wretched 
Jews perished in the flames kindled by 


xliv Theologia Germanica 


frantic terror. ‘All things worked to- 
gether to deepen the sense of the corrupt- 
ness of the Church, to lead men’s thoughts 
onwards from their physical to their 
spiritual wants, to awaken reflection on 
the judgments of God, and to fix their 
eyes on the indications of the future,”? 
so that John of Winterthur was probably 
not alone in applying to his own times 
what St. Paul says of the perils of the 
latter days. 

In these chaotic times, and in the 
’ countries where the storms raged most 
fiercely, there were some who sought that 
peace which could not be found on earth, 
in intercourse with a higher world. Desti- 
tute of help and comfort and guidance 
from man, they took refuge in God, and 
finding that to them He had proved “a 
present help in time of trouble,” “as the 


1 Neander, Kirchengeschichte, B. 6, S. 728. 


Historical Introduction xlv 


shadow of a great rock in a weary land,” 
they tried to bring their fellow-men to 
believe and partake in a life raised above 
the troubles of this world. They desired 
to show them that that Eternal life and 
enduring peace which Christ had promised 
to His disciples, was, of a truth, to be 
found by the Way which He had pointed 
out,—by a living union with Him and 
the Father who had sent Him. 

With this aim, like-minded men and 
women joined themselves together, that 
by communion of heart and mutual coun- 
sel they might strengthen each other in 
their common efforts to revive the 
spiritual life of those around them. The 
Association they founded was kept secret, 
lest through misconception of their prin- 
ciples, they might fall under suspicion of 
heresy, and the Inquisition should put a 
stop to their labours; but they desired 


xlvi Theologia Germantica 


to keep themselves aloof from every thing 
that savoured of heresy or disorder. On 
the contrary, they carefully observed all 
the precepts of the Church, and carried 
their obedience so far that many of their 
number were among the priests who were 
banished for obeying the Pope, when the 
Emperor ordered them to disregard the 
Interdict. They assumed the appellation 
of “Friends of God” (Gottesfreunde), 
and, in the course of a few years, their 
associations extended along the Rhine 
provinces from Basle to Cologne, and 
eastwards through Swabia, Bavaria, and 
Franconia. Strasburg, Constance, Nurem- 
berg and Nordlingen were among their 
chief seats. Their distinguishing doctrines 
| were self-renunciation,—the complete 
| giving-up of self-will to the will of God ; 
—the continuous activity of the Spirit of 
God in all believers, and the intimate 


Historical Introduction xl vii 


union possible between God and man ;— 
the worthlessness of all religion based 
upon fear or the hope of reward ;—and 
the essential equality of the laity and 
clergy, though, for the sake of order and 
discipline, the organisation of the Church 
was necessary. They often appealed to 
the declaration of Christ (John xv. 15), 
“ Henceforth I call you not servants ; for 
the servant knoweth not what his lord 
doeth ; but I have called you friends ; 
for all things that I have heard of my 
Father 1 have made known unto you ;” 
and from this they probably derived their _ 
name of “‘ Friends of God.” Their mode 
of action was simply personal, for they 
made no attempt to gain political and 
hierarchical power, but exerted all their 
influence by means of preaching, writing 
and social intercourse. The Association 
counted among its members priests, 


xl vii Theologia Germanica 


monks, and laity, without distinction of — 
rank or sex. Its leaders stood likewise 
in close connection with several convents, 
especially those of Engenthal, and Maria- 
Medingen near Nuremberg, presided 
over by the sisters Christina and Margaret 
Ebner, much of whose correspondence is 
still extant. Agnes, the widow of King 
Andrew of Hungary, and various knights 
and burghers, are also named as belong- 
ing to it. 

Foremost among the leaders of this 
party should be mentioned the celebrated 
Tauler, a Dominican monk of Strasburg, 


who spent his life in preaching and teach- 
ing up and down the country from Stras- 
burg to Cologne, and whose influence is 
to this day active among his countrymen 
by means of his admirable sermons, which 
are still widely read. At the time of the 
Interdict he wrote a noble appeal to the 


Historical Introduction xlix 


clergy not to forsake their flocks, main- 
taining that if the Emperor had sinned, 
the blame lay with him only, not with 
his wretched subjects, so that it was a cry- 
ing shame to visit his guilt upon the 
innocent people, but that their unjust 
oppression would be recompensed to them 
by God hereafter. He acted up to his 
own principles, and when the Black 
Death was raging in Strasburg, where it 
carried off 16,000 victims, he was un- 
wearied in his efforts to administer aid 
and consolation to the sick and dying. 
Much of Tauler’s religious fervour 
and light he himself attributed to the 
instructions of a layman, his friend. It 
is now known from contemporary records 
that this was Nicholas of Basle, a citizen 
of that Free town and a secret Walden- 
sian. Little is known of his life beyond 
the fact that he was intimately connected 


l Theologia Germanica 


with many of the heads of this party, 
and was resorted to by them for guidance 
and help ; for, being under suspicion of 
heresy, he had to conceal all his move- 
ments from the Inquisition. He suc- 
ceeded, however, in carrying on_ his 
labours and eluding his enemies, until he 
reached an advanced age ; but at length, 
venturing alone and unprotected into 
France, he was taken, and burnt at 
Vienne in 1382. Another friend of 
Tauler’s, and like him an eloquent and 
powerful preacher, whose sermons are 
still read with delight, was Henry Suso, — 
a Dominican monk, belonging to a 
knightly family in Swabia. 

One of the leaders of the “ Friends of 
God,” Nicholas of Strasburg, was in 1326 
appointed by John XXII. nuncio, with 
the oversight of the Dominican order 
throughout Germany, and dedicated to 


Historical Introduction li 


that Pope an Essay of great learning and 
ability, refuting the prevalent interpreta- 
tions of Scripture, which referred the 
coming of Antichrist and the Judgment 
day to the immediate future. Thus we 
see that the “ Friends of God” were not 
confined to one political party, and this 
likewise appears from the history of 
another celebrated member of _ this 
sect, Henry of Nordlingen, a priest of 
Constance, who, like Suso, was banished 
for his adherence to the Pope. One of 
the most remarkable men of this sect was 
a layman and married, Rulman Merswin, 
belonging to a high family at Strasburg. 
He appears to have been led to a religious 
life by the influence of Tauler, who was 
his confessor. He is the author of 
several mystical works which, he says, he 
wrote “ to do good to his fellow creatures,” 
but he contributed perhaps still more 


lit Theologia Germanica 


largely to their benefit by his activity in 
charitable works, for he established one 
hospital and seems to have had the over- 
sight of others also. He likewise gave 
largely to churches and convents, but is 
best known by having founded a house 
for the Knights of St. John in Strasburg. 
The characteristic doctrines of the 


~ “Friends of God” have already been 


indicated. That they should not have 
fallen into some exaggerations was scarcely 
possible, but where they have done so, it 
may generally be traced to the influence 
of the monastic life to which most of 
them were dedicated, and to the per- 
plexities of their age. 

The book before us was probably 
written somewhere about 1350, since it 
refers to Tauler as already well known, 
It was the practice of the “ Friends of 
God” to conceal their names as much as 


4 


Historical Introduction litt 


possible when they wrote, lest a desire 
for fame should mingle with their en- 
deavours to be useful. This is probably 
the reason why we have no indication of 
its authorship beyond a preface, which 
the Wurtzburg Manuscript possesses in 
common with that which was in Luther’s 
hands, and from which it appears that the 
writer “was of the Teutonic order, a 
priest and a warden in the house of the 
Teutonic order in Frankfort.” A transla- 
tion of this Preface is prefixed to the 
present volume. Till the discovery of 
the Wurtzburg Manuscript, it was sup- 
posed that this Preface was from Luther’s 
hand, who merely embodied in it the 
tradition which he had received from 
some source unknown to us ; and hence, 
some, disregarding its authority, have 
ascribed the Theologia Germanica to 
Tauler, whose ‘style it resembles so much 


liv Theologia Germanica 


that it might be taken for his work, but 

for the reference to him already mentioned. 

Since, however, the antiquity of the Pre-| 
face is now proved, we must be content 

with the information which it affords us, 

unless any further discoveries among old | 
manuscripts should throw fresh light | 
upon the subject. 

Should this attempt to introduce the : 
writings of the “Friends of God” in| 
England awaken an interest in them a | 
their works, the Translator proposes to 


follow up the present volume with an 
account of Tauler and selections from 
his writings ; believing that the study of 
these German theologians, who were 
already called old in Luther’s age, would 
furnish the best antidote to what of mis- . 
chief English readers may have derived — 


{ 
: 
: 


from German theology, falsely so called. 


Manchester, February 1854. 


LETTER 
FROM CHEVALIER BUNSEN TO 
THE TRANSLATOR 


77 Marina, St. Leonard’s-on-Sea, 
11th May 1854. 


My pear FRIEND, 


BX7a 


‘Gi OUR Letter and the proof-sheets 
Se }| of your Translation of the Theo- 
a logia Germanica, with Kings- 
ley’s Preface and your Introduction, were 
delivered to me yesterday, as I was leaving 
Carlton Terrace to breathe once more, for 
a few days, the refreshing air of this 
quiet, lovely place. You told me, at the 
time, that you had been led to study 
Tauler and the Theologia Germanica by 


lvi Theologia Germanica 


some conversations which we had on their 
subjects in 1851, and you now wish me 
to state to your readers, in a few lines, 
what place I conceive this school of Ger- 
manic theology to hold in the general 
development of Christian thought, and | 
what appears to me to be the bearing of | 


this work in particular upon the present 
dangers and prospects of Christianity, as 
well as upon the eternal interests of re- 
ligion in the heart of every man and 
woman. 


In complying willingly with your re-— 
quest, I may begin by saying that, with © 
Luther, I rank this short treatise next to 
the Bible, but, unlike him, should place 
it before rather than after St. Augustine. - 
That school of pious, learned, and pro- 
found men of which this book is, as it 


were, the popular catechism, was the 
Germanic counterpart of Romanic scho- 


Letter to the Translator Ivit 


lasticism, and more than the revival of 
that Latin theology which produced so 
many eminent thinkers, from Augustine, 
its father, to Thomas Aquinas, its last 
great genius, whose death did not take 
place until after the birth of Dante, who 
again was the contemporary of the 
Socrates of the Rhenish school,—Meister 
Eckart, the Dominican. 

The theology of this school was the 
first protest of the Germanic mind against 
the Judaism and formalism of the Byzan- 
tine and medieval Churches,—the hollow- 
ness of science to which scholasticism had 
led, and the rottenness of society which 
a pompous hierarchy strove in vain to 
conceal, but had not the power nor the 
will to correct. Eckart and Tauler, 
his pupil, brought religion home from 
fruitless speculation, and reasonings upon 
imaginary or impossible suppositions, to 


lvilt Theologia Germanica 


man’s own heart and to the understand- 
ing of the common people, as Socrates 
did the Greek philosophy. There is 
both a remarkable analogy and a striking 
contrast between the great Athenian and 
those Dominican friars. Socrates did 
full justice to the deep ethical ideas em- 
bodied in the established religion of his 
country and its venerated mysteries, 
which he far preferred to the shallow 
philosophy of the sophists ; but he dis- 
suaded his pupils from seeking an initia- 
tion into the mysteries, or at least from 
resting their convictions and hopes upon 
them, exhorting them to rely, not upon 
the oracles of Delphi, but upon the oracle 
in their own bosom. The “Friends of 
God,” on the other hand, believing (like 
Dante) most profoundly in the truth of 
the Christian religion, on which the 
established Church of their age, notwith- 


Letter to the Translator lix 


standing its corruptions, was essentially 
founded, recommended submission to the 
ordinances of the church as a wholesome 
preparatory discipline for many minds. 
Like the saint of Athens, however, they 
_ spoke plain truth to the people. To 
their disciples, and those who came to 
them for instruction, they exhibited the 
whole depth of that real Christian philo- 
sophy, which opens to the mind after 
all scholastic conventionalism has been 
thrown away, and the soul listens to the 
response which Christ’s Gospel and God’s 
creation find in a sincere heart and a self- 
sacrificing life;—a philosophy which, 
considered merely as a speculation, is far 
more profound than any scholastic sys- 
tem. But, in a style that was intelligible 
to all, they preached that no fulfilment 
of rites and ceremonies, nor of so-called 
religious duties,—in fact, no outward 


Ix Theologia Germanica 


works, however meritorious, can either 
give peace to man’s conscience, nor yet 
give him strength to bear up against the 
temptations of prosperity and the trials 
of adversity. 

In following this course they brought 
the people back from hollow profession 
and real despair, to the blessings of gos- 
pel religion, while they opened to philo- 
sophic minds a new career of thought. 
By teaching that man is justified by 
faith, and by faith alone, they prepared 
the popular intellectual element of the 
Reformation ; by teaching that this faith 
has its philosophy, as fully able to carry 
conviction to the understanding, as faith 
is to give peace to the troubled con- 
science, they paved the way for that 
spiritual philosophy of the mind, of 
which Kant laid the foundation. But 
they were not controversialists, as the 


Letter to the Translator Ixi 


Reformers of the sixteenth century were 
driven to be by their position, and not 
men of science exclusively, as the masters 
of modern philosophy in Germdny were 
and are. Although most of them friars, 
or laymen connected with the religious 
orders of the time, they were men of the 
people and men of action. They- 
preached the saving faith to the people 
in churches, in hospitals, in the streets 
and public places. In the strength of 
this faith, Tauler, when he had been 
already for years the universal object of 
admiration as a theologian and preacher 
through all the free cities on the Rhine, 
from Basle to Cologne, humbled himself, 
and remained silent for the space of two 
years, after the mysterious layman had 
shown him the insufficiency of his scho- 
lastic learning and preaching. In the 
strength of this faith, he braved the 


Ixii Theologia Germanica 


Pope’s Interdict, and gave the consola- 
tions of religion to the people of Stras- 
burg, during the dreadful plague which 
depopulated that flourishing city. For 
this faith, Eckart suffered with patience 
slander and persecution, as formerly he 
had borne with meekness, honours and 
praise. For this faith, Nicolaus of Basle, 
who sat down as a humble stranger at 
Tauler’s feet to become the instrument 
of his real enlightenment, died a martyr 
in the flames. In this sense, the ‘* Friends 
of God” were, like the Apostles, men of 
the people and practical Christians, while 
as men of thought, their ideas contributed 
powerfully to the great efforts of the 
European nations in the sixteenth cen- 
tury. 

Let me, therefore, my dear friend, lay 
aside all philosophical and theological 
terms, and state the principle of the 


Letter to the Translator Ixiit 


golden book which you are just present- 
ing to the English public, in what I con- 
sider, with Luther, the best Theological 
exponent, in plain Teutonic, thus :-— 
Sin is selfishness : 
Godliness is unselfishness : 
A godly life is the steadfast working 
out of inward freeness from self : 
To become thus Godlike is the bring- 
ing back of man’s first nature. 
On this last point,—man’s divine 
dignity and destiny,—Tauler speaks as 
strongly as our author, and almost as 
strongly as the Bible. Man is indeed to 
him God’s own image. ‘Asa sculptor,” 
he says somewhere, with a striking range 
of mind for a monk of the fourteenth 
century, “is said to have exclaimed 
indignantly on seeing a rude block 
of marble, ‘what a godlike beauty thou 
hidest!’ thus God looks upon man in 


Ixiv Theologia Germanica 


whom God’s own image is_ hidden.” 
‘““We may begin,” he says in a kindred 
passage, “by loving God in hope of 
reward, we may express ourselves con- 
cerning Him in symbols (Bilder), but we 
must throw them all away, and much 
more we must scorn all idea of reward, 
that we may love God only because He 
is the Supreme Good, and contemplate 
His eternal nature as the real substance 
of our own soul.” 

But let no one imagine that these 
men, although doomed to passiveness in 
many respects, thought a contemplative 
or monkish life a condition of spiritual 
Christianity, and not rather a danger to 
it. “If a man truly loves God,” says 
Tauler, “and has no will but to do 
God’s will, the whole force of the river 
Rhine may run at him and will not 
disturb him or break his peace; if we 


Letter to the Translator Ixv 


find outward things a danger and dis- 
turbance, it comes from our appropriating 
But Tauler, 
as well as our Author, uses the strongest 


» 


to ourselves what is God’s. 


language to express his horror of Sin, 
man’s own creation, and their view on 
this subject forms their great contrast to 
the philosophers of the Spinozistic school. 
Among the Reformers, Luther stands 
nearest to them, with respect to the great 
fundamental points of theological teach- 
ing, but their intense dread of Sin as a 
rebellion against God, is shared both by 
Luther and Calvin. Among later 
theologians, Julius Muller, in his pro- 
found Essay on Sin, and Richard Rothe, 
in his great work on Christian Ethics, 
come nearest to them in depth of thought 
and ethical earnestness, and the first of 
these eminent writers carries out, as it 
appears to me, most consistently that 


Ixvi Theologia Germanica 


fundamental truth of the Theologia 
Germanica that there is no sin but 
Selfishness, and that all Selfishness is sin. 

Such appear to me to be the character- 
istics of our book and of Tauler. I may 
be aliowed to add, that this small but 
golden Treatise has been now for almost 
forty years an unspeakable comfort to 
me and to many Christian friends (most 
of whom have already departed in peace), 
to whom I had the happiness of introduc- 
ing it. May it in your admirably faith- 
ful and lucid translation become a real 
“book for the million” in England, 
a privilege which it already shares 
in Germany _with Tauler’s matchless 
Sermons, of which I rejoice to hear 
that you are making a selection for 
publication. May it become a blessing 
to many a longing Christian heart in 
that dear country of yours, which I am 


| Letter to the Translator Ixvii 


_on the point of leaving, after many happy 
years of residence, but on which I can 
never look as a strange land to me, any 
more than I shall ever consider myself as 
a stranger in that home of old Teutonic 
liberty and energy, which I have found 
to be also the home of practical 
Christianity and of warm and faithful 


affection. 
BunsEN. 


TABLE OF CONTENTS 


Cuap. I.—Of that which is perfect and 
that which is in part, and how that 
which is in part is done away, when 
that which is perfect is come 


PAGE 


Cuap. II.—Of what Sin is, and how Ee 


must not take unto ourselves any good 
Thing, seeing that it belongeth unto the 
true Good alone. d 

Crap. IIl.—How Man’s Fall os: going 
astray must be amended as Adam’s Fall 
was . 5 ‘ ‘ ; " : 

Cuap. IV.—How Man, when he claimeth 
any good Thing for his own, falleth, and 
toucheth God in His Honour 

Cuap. V.—How we are to take that Say 
ing, that we must come to be without 
Will, Wisdom, Love, Desire, Know- 
ledge, and the like 3 

Cuap. VI.—How that which is Bisie eal 
noblest should also be loved above all 


Ixx Theologia Germanica 


PAGE 
Things by us, merely because it is the 


best . : : ; : F Sala (7) 
Cuap. VII.—Of the Eyes of the Spirit, 

wherewith Man looketh into Eternity 

and into Time, and how the one is hin- 

dered of the other in its Working Seer) 
Cuar. VIII.—How the Soul of Man, while 

it is yet in the Body, may obtain a 

Foretaste of eternal Blessedness . . eas 
Cuap. [X.—How it is better and more pro- 

fitable for a Man that he should perceive 

what God will do with him, or to what 

end He will make Use of him, than if 

he knew all that God had ever wrought, 

or would ever work through all the 

Creatures ; and how Blessedness lieth 

alone in God, and not in the Creatures, 

or in any Works. - 27 
Cuap. X.—How the perfect Men i no 

other Desire than that they may be to 

the Eternal Goodness what His Hand 

is to a Man; and how they have lost 

the Fear of Hell, and Hope of Heaven 31 
Cuap. XI.—How a righteous Man in this 

present Time is brought into Hell, and 

there cannot be comforted, and how he 

is taken out of Hell and carried into 

Heaven, and there cannot be troubled. 35 


= 


Contents 


Cuap. XII.—Touching that true inward 
Peace, which Christ left to His or 
at the last . 

Cuap. XIII.—How a Man may cast seid 
Images too soon . . 

Crap. XIV.—Of three Stages i. whigh a 
Man is led upwards till he attaineth 
true Perfection . 

Cuap. X V.—How all Men are dnd in ‘Adan 
and are made alive again in Christ, and 
of true Obedience and Disobedience 

Cuar. XVI.—Telleth us what is the old 
Man, and what is the new Man . 

Cuap. X VII.—How we are not to take unto 
ourselves what we have done well, but 
only what we have done amiss 

Cuap. XVIII.—How that the Life of Chiiet 
is the noblest and best Life that ever hath 
been or can be, and how a careless Life 
of false Freedom is the worst Life that 
can be ‘ ; ; : 

Cuap. XIX.—How we cannot come to the 
true Light and Christ’s Life, by much 
Questioning or Reading, or by high 
natural Skill and Reason, but by truly 
renouncing ourselves and all Things 


Cuap. XX.—How, seeing that the Life of 


Christ is most bitter to Nature and Self, 


Ixxi 


PAGE 


an 
wv 


Ixxil Theologia Germanica 


F PAGE 
Nature will have none of it, and 


chooseth a false careless Life, as is most 
convenient to her 2 67 
Cuap. XXI.—How a Friend We Gis oni. 
ingly fulfilleth by his outward Works, 
such Things as must be and ought to be, 
/ and doth not concern himself with the 
ROSE. 69 
Cuap. XXII. Jee sometimes wiles “apicte 
of God, and sometimes also the Evil 
Spirit may possess a Man and have the 
Mastery over him é 71 
Cuap. XXIII.—He who will ie cm 
self to God and be obedient to Him, 
must be ready to bear with all Things ; 
j to wit, God, himself, and all Creatures, 
and must be obedient to them all, 
whether he have to suffer or to do Pe 
Cuap. XXIV.—How that four Things are 
needful before a Man can receive divine 
Truth and be ea with the Spirit 
ofGodeaee 79 
Cuar. XXV.—Of two ove Fees eS 2s 
spring up from the Seed of the Evil 
Spirit, and are two Sisters who love to 
dwell together. The one is called 
PA spiritual Pride and Highmindedness, 
the other is false, lawless Freedom 282 


Contents Ixxiit 
. PAGE 
Cuap. XXVI.—Touching Poorness of 
Spirit and true Humility, and whereby 
we may discern the true and lawful 
free Men whom the Truth hath made 
fee. - : ; , ; sir 
Cuap. XXVII.—How we are to take 
Christ’s Words when He bade us forsake 
all Things; and wherein the Union~ 
with the Divine Will standeth 97 
Crap. XXVIII.—How, after a Union rath 
the Divine Will, the inward Man stand- 
eth immoveable, the while the outward 
Man is moved hither and thither. a +99 
Cuap. XXIX.—How a Man may not 
attain so high before Death as not tu 
be moved and touched by outward 
Things! / >. : : ae fey 
Cuarp. XXX.—On 2 wise we May come 
to be beyond and above all Custom, 
Order, Law, Precepts and the like oe TOR 
Cuap. XXXI.—How we are not to cast off 
the Life of Christ, but practise it dili- 
gently, and walk in it until Death . 108 
Cuap. XXXII.—How God is a true, simple, 
perfect Good, and how He is a Light 
and a Reason and all Virtues, and how «~~ 
what is highest and best, that is, God, 
ought to be most loved by us Piel} ¢- 


Ixxiv Theologia Germanica 


Cuap. XXXIII.—How when a Man is 
made truly Godlike, his Love is pure 
Va and unmixed, and he loveth all 
Creatures, and doth his best for them . 
Cuap. XXXIV.—How that if a Man will 
attain to that which is best, he must for- 
“swear his own Will ; and he who help- 
V eth a Man to his own Will helpeth him 
to the worst Thing he can . 
Cuap. XXXV.—How there is deep iad 
true Humility and Poornesgof Spirit in 
a Man who is “made a Paffaker of the 
Divine Nature” 
Cuap. XXXVI. rae nasties is eae 
to God but Sin only ; and what Sin is 
ne in Kind and Act : 
Cuarp. XXXVII.—How in ae as Gad 
there can neither be Grief, Sorrow, Dis- 


on pleasure, nor the like, but how it is 
’ > otherwise in a Man who is “made a 

SS vad Partaker of the Divine Nature” 
Y Cuarp. XXXVIII.—How we are to put on 


Wi the Life of Christ from Love, and not 
for the sake of Reward, and how we 
must never grow careless concerning it, 

or cast it off , ‘ : : 

CuHap, XXXIX.—How God will have 
Order, Custom, Measure, and the like 


I2I 


127 


130 


135 


—— _ a 


Contents 


in the Creature, seeing that He cannot 


have them without the Creature, and of 


four sorts of Men who are concerned 
with this Order, Law, and Custom 

Cuap. XL.—A good Account of the False 
Light and its Kind . 

Cuar. XLI.—How that he is to be alla 
and is truly, a Partaker of the Divine 
Nature, who is illuminated with the 
Divine Light, and inflamed with Eternal 
Love, and hew Light and Knowledge are 
worth nothity without Love ; 

Cuap. XLII—A Question: whether we 
can know God and not love Him ; and 
how there are two kinds of Light and 
Love,—a true and a false 

Cuap. XLIII.—Whereby we may know a 
Man who is made a Partaker of the 
Divine Nature, and what belongeth 
unto him; and further, what is the 
token of a False Light and a False Free- 
Thinker x : 

Cuap. XLIV.—How Beds is contrary to 
God but Self-will, and how he who 
seeketh his own Good for his own sake, 
findeth it not ; and how a Man of him- 
self neither knoweth nor can do any 


good Thing 


Ixxv 


PAGE 


160 


Ixxvi Theologia Germanica 


PAGE 


Cuap. XLV.—How that where there is a 
Christian Life, Christ dwelleth, and how 
Christ’s Life is the best and most admir- 
able Life that ever hath been or can be 181 

Cuap. XLVI.—How entire Satisfaction 
and true Rest are to be found in God 
alone, and not in any Creature; and 
how he who will be obedient unto God, 

Vg must also be obedient to the Creatures 
with all Quietness, and he who would 
love God, must love all Things in One 184 

Cuap. XLVII.—A Question : Whether, if 
we ought to love all a we ought 
to love Sin also? ; 187 

Cuar. XLVIII.—How we must belted 
certain Things of God’s Truth before- 
hand, ere we can come toa true Know- 
ledge and Experience thereof. 190 

Cuap. XLIX.—Of Self-will, and — 
Lucifer and Adam fell away from God 
through Self-will : : : ee LOM 

Crap. L.—How this present Time is a 
Paradise and Outer Court of Heaven, 

a and how therein there is only one Tree 
forbidden, that is, Self-will . ; 2 gz 

Cuap. LI.—Wherefore God hath created 
Self-will, seeing that it is so contrary to 
Him. : é : : : a HOH 


Contents *  Ixxvii 


Cuap. LII.—How we must take those two 
Sayings of Christ: “No Man cometh 
unto the Father, but by me,” and “ No 
Man cometh unto Me, except the Father 
which hath sent Me draw him” : 

Cuap. LIII.—Considereth that other Say- 
ing of Christ, “No Man can come unto 
Me, except the Father, which hath sent 
Me, draw him” 

Cuap. LIV. i a Man shall not ot 
his own, either in Things spiritual or 
natural, but the Honour of God only ; 
and how he must enter in by the right 
Door, to wit, by Christ, into Eternal 
life 


“CVO” 


PAGE 


208 


212 


222 


A \Preface 


This little Wook hath the Almighty and Eternal Gov 
spoken bp the mouth of a wige, understanding, faithful, 
righteous man, Wis friend, tho aforetime twas of the 
~ GWeutonic orver, a Priest and a CHarden in the house 
of the Weutonic order in jfrankfort: and it giveth 
much precious ingight into Dibine truth, and espe- 
cially teacheth bot and tohereby wwe map 
Discern the true and upright friends 
of God from those unrighteous 
and false free- thinkers, 
toho are most Hurt- 
ful to the Woly 
Church. 


= 


Theologia Germanica 


Theologia Germanica 


CHAPTER |! 


Of that which is perfect and that which is in part, 
and how that which is in part is done away, when 
that which is perfect is come. 


SS gj). PAUL saith, “ When. that 
iS which 1s perfect is come, then 
DEA that which is in part shall be 
done away.”! Now mark what is “that 
which is perfect,” and “that which is in 


» 
. 


part 
“That which is perfect” is a Being, 
who hath comprehended and included all 


1 1 Cor. xiii. 10. 


§ B 


2 Theologia Germanica 


things in Himself and His own Substance, 
and without whom, and beside whom, 
there is no true Substance, and in whom 
all things have their Substance. For 
He is the Substance of all things, and is 
in Himself unchangeable and immoveable, 
and changeth and moveth all things else. 
But “that which is in part,” or the Im- 
perfect, is that which hath its source in, 
or springeth from the Perfect; just as a 
brightness or a visible appearance floweth 
out from the sun or a candle, and ap- 
peareth to be somewhat, this or that. 
And it is called a creature; and of all - 
these ‘“‘ things which are in part,” none 
is the Perfect. So also the Perfect is 
none of the things which are in part. 
The things which are in part can be - 
apprehended, known, and expressed; 
but the Perfect cannot be apprehended, 
known, or expressed by any creature as 


Theologia Germanica 3 


creature. Therefore we do not give a 
name to the Perfect, for it is none of 
these. The creature as creature cannot 
know nor apprehend .it, name nor con- 
ceive it. 

“ Now when that which is Perfect is 
come, then that which is in part shall 
be done away.” But when doth it 
come? I say, when as much as may 
be, it is known, felt and tasted of the 
soul. [For the lack lieth altogether in 
us, and not in it. In like manner the 
~ sun lighteth the whole world, and is as 
near to one as another, yet a blind man 
seeth it not ; but the fault thereof lieth 
in the blind man, not in the sun. And 
like as the sun may not hide its bright- 
ness, but must give light unto the earth 
(for heaven indeed draweth its light and 
heat from another fountain), so also God, 
who is the highest Good, willeth not to 


4 Theologia Germanica 


hide Himself from any, wheresoever 
He findeth a devout soul, that is 
thoroughly purified from all creatures. 
For in what measure we put off the 
creature, in the same measure are we 
able to put on the Creator; neither 
more nor less. For if mine eye is to 
see anything, it must be single, or else 
be purified from all other things; and 
where heat and light enter in, cold and 
darkness must needs depart ; it cannot 
be otherwise. | 

But one might say, ‘ Now since the 
Perfect cannot be known nor apprehended 
of any creature, but the soul is a creature, 
how can it be known by the soul?” 
Answer: This is why we say, “by the 
soul as a creature.” We mean it is 
impossible to the creature in virtue of 
its creature-nature and qualities, that by 
which it saith “I” and “ myself.” For 


— 


Theologia Germanica 5 


in whatsoever creature the Perfect shall 
be known, therein creature - nature, 
qualities, the I, the Self and the like, 
must all be lost and done away. This 
is the meaning of that saying of St. 
Paul : “ When that which is perfect is 
come” (that is, when it is known), 
“then that which is in part” (to wit, 
creature-nature, qualities, the I, the Self, 
the Mine) will be despised and counted 
for nought. So long as we think much 
of these things, cleave to them with love, 
joy, pleasure or desire, so long remaineth 
the Perfect unknown to us. 

But it might further be said, ‘“ Thou 
sayest, beside the Perfect there is no 
Substance, yet sayest again that some- 
what floweth out from it: now is not 
that which hath flowed out from it, 
something beside it?” Answer: This 
is why we say, beside it, or without it, 


6 Theologia Germanica 


there is no ¢rue Substance. That which 
hath flowed forth from it, is no true 
Substance, and hath no Substance except 
in the Perfect, but is an accident, or a 
brightness, or a visible appearance, which 
is no Substance, and hath no Substance 
except in the fire whence the bright- 
ness flowed forth, such as the sun ora 
candle. 


CHAPTERS 


Of what Sin is, and how we must not take unto 
ourselves any good Thing, seeing that it belongeth 
unto the true Good alone. 


Ar HE Scripture and the Faith and 
the Truth say, Sin is nought 
else, but that the creature turneth 

away from the unchangeable Good and 
betaketh itself to the changeable; that 
is to say, that it turneth away from the 


Theologia Germanica 7 


Perfect to “that which is in part” and 
imperfect, and most often to itself. Now 
mark: when the creature claimeth for 
its own anything good, such as Substance, 
Life, Knowledge, Power, and in short 
whatever we should call good, as if it 
were that, or possessed that, or that were 
itself, or that proceeded from it,—as 
often as this cometh to pass, the creature 
goeth astray. What did the devil do 
else, or what was his going astray and 
his fall else, but that he claimed for 
himself to be also somewhat, and would ° 
have it that somewhat was his, and some- 
what was due to him? This setting up 
of a claim and his I and Me and Mine, 
these were his going astray, and his fall. 
And thus it is to this day. 


8 Theologia Germanica 


CHAPTER Ait 


How Man’s Fall and going astray must be amended 
as Adam's Fall was. 


(Fay/ HAT else did Adam do but 
Ni ‘lege i ae 

e v\ ~| this same thing? It is said, 
f\ 


225. 


it was because Adam ate the 
apple that he was lost, or fell. I say, 
it was because of his claiming something 
for his own, and because of his I, Mine, 
Me, and the like. Had he eaten seven 
apples, and yet never claimed anything 
for his own, he would not have fallen: 
but as soon as he called something his 
own, he fell, and would have fallen if he 
had never touched an apple. Behold! 
I have fallen a hundred times more often 
and deeply, and gone a hundred times 
farther astray than Adam; and not all 


’ 


Theologia Germanica 9 


mankind could amend his fall, or bring 
him back from going astray. But how 
shall my fall be amended? It must be 
healed as Adam’s fall was healed, and 
on the self-same wise. By whom, and 
on what wise was that healing brought 
to pass? Mark this: man could not 
without God, and God should not with- 
out man. Wherefore God took human 
nature or manhood upon Himself and 
was made man, and man was made 
divine. Thus the healing was brought 
to pass. So also must my fall be healed. 
I cannot do the work without God, and 
God may not or will not without me ; 
for if it shall be accomplished, in me, 
too, God must be made man; in such 
sort that God must take to Himself all 
that is in me, within and without, so 
that there may be nothing in me which 
striveth against God or hindereth His 


10 Theologia Germanica 


work. Now if God took to Himself all 
men that are in the world, or ever were, 
and were made man in them, and they 
were made divine in Him, and this work 
were not fulfilled in me, my fall and my 
wandering would never be amended 
except it were fulfilled in me also. And 
in this bringing back and healing, I can, 
or may, or shall do nothing of myself, 
but just simply yield to God, so that 
He alone may do all things in me and 
work, and I may suffer Him and all His 
work and His divine will. And because 
I will not do so, but I count myself to 
be my own, and say “I,” ‘“ Mine,” 
“Me” and the like, God is hindered, 
so that He cannot do His work in me 
alone and without hindrance; for this 
cause my fall and my going astray remain 
unhealed. Behold! this all cometh of 
my claiming somewhat for my own. 


Theologia Germanica Il 


CHAPTER IV 


How Man, when he claimeth any good Thing for 
his own, falleth, and toucheth God in His Honour. 


OD saith, “I will not give My 
& glory to another.”* This is 
as much as to say, that praise 


and honour and glory belong to none 
but to God only. But now, if I call 
any good thing my own, as if I were it, 
or of myself had power or did or knew 
anything, or as if anything were mine or 
of me, or belonged to me, or were due 
to me or the like, I take unto myself 
somewhat of honour and glory, and do 
two evil things: First, I fall and go 
astray as aforesaid: Secondly, I touch 
God in His honour and take unto my- 


1 Tsaiah xlii. 8. 


12 Theologia Germanica 


self what belongeth to God only. For 
all that must be called good belongeth 
to none but to the true eternal Goodness 
which is God only, and whoso taketh it 
unto himself, committeth unrighteous- 
ness and is against God. 


CHAPTERa 


How we are to take that Saying, that we must 
come to be without Will, Wisdom, Love, Desire, 
Knowledge, and the like. 


ERTAIN men say that we 
ought to be without will, 
wisdom, love, desire, know- 

ledge, and the like. Hereby is not to 
be understood that there is to be no 
knowledge in man, and that God is not 
to be loved by him, nor desired and 


Theologia Germanica ha 


longed for, nor praised and honoured ; 
for that were a great loss, and man were 
like the beasts [and as the brutes that 
have no reason]. But it meaneth that 
man’s knowledge should be so clear and 
perfect that he should acknowledge of a 
truth [that in himself he neither hath 
nor can do any good thing, and that 
none of his knowledge, wisdom and art, 
his will, love and good works do come 
from himself, nor are of man, nor of any 
creature, but] that all these are of the 
eternal God, from whom they all proceed. 
[As Christ Himself saith, “‘ Without Me, 
ye can do nothing.”? St. Paul saith 
also, ‘‘ What hast thou that thou hast 
not received? ”? As much as to say— 
nothing. ‘‘Now if thou didst receive 
it, why dost thou glory as if thou hadst 
not received it?” Again he saith, “‘ Not 


1 John xy. 5. 2 1 Cor. iv. 7. 


14 Theologia Germanica 


that we are sufficient of ourselves to 
think anything as of ourselves, but our 
sufficiency is of God.”"] Now when a 
man duly perceiveth these things in him- 
self, he and the creature fall behind, and 
he doth not call anything his own, and 
the less he taketh this knowledge unto 
himself, the more perfect doth it become. 
So also is it with the will, and love and 
desire, and the like. For the less we — 
call these things our own, the more 
perfect and noble and Godlike do they 
become, and the more we think them 
our own, the baser and less pure and 
perfect do they become. 

Behold on this sort must we cast all 
things from us, and strip ourselves of 
them; we must refrain from claiming — 
anything for our own. When we do 
this, we shall have the best, fullest, 


1 2 Cor. iii. 5. 


Theologia Germanica 15 


clearest and noblest knowledge that a 
man can have, and also the noblest and 
purest love, will and desire; for then 
these will be all of God alone. It is 
much better that they should be God’s 
than the creature’s. Now that I ascribe 
anything good to myself, as if I were, 
or had done, or knew, or could perform 
any good thing, or that it were mine, 
this is all of sin and folly. For if the 
truth were rightly known by me, I 
should also know that I am not that 
good thing and that it is not mine, nor 
of me, and that I do not know it, and 
cannot do it, and the like. If this came 
to pass, I should needs cease to call any- 
thing my own. 

It is better that God, or His works, - 
should be known, as far as it be possible 
to us, and loved, praised and honoured, 
and the like, and even that man should 


16 Theologia Germanica 


vainly imagine he loveth or praiseth 
God, than that God should be altogether 
unpraised, unloved, unhonoured and un- 
known. For when the vain imagination 
and ignorance are turned into an under- 
standing and knowledge of the truth, 
the claiming anything for our own will 
cease of itself. Then the man says: 
“Behold! I, poor fool that I was, 
imagined it was I, but behold! it is 
and was, of a truth, God!” 


wet oe 


Theologia Germanica 17 


SHAPTER VI 


How that which is best and noblest should also be 
loved above all Things by us, merely because it 
is the best. 


MASTER called Boetius saith, 
“Tt is of sin that we do not 
love that which is Best.” He 
hath spoken the truth. That which is 
best should be the dearest of all things 
to us; and in our love of it, neither 
helpfulness nor unhelpfulness, advantage 


nor injury, gain nor loss, honour nor 
dishonour, praise nor blame, nor any- 
thing of the kind should be regarded; 
but what is in truth the noblest and best 
of all things, should be also the dearest of 
all things, and that for no other cause 
than that it is the noblest and best. 
c 


18 Theologia Germanica 


Hereby may a man order his life - 
within and without. His outward life : 
for among the creatures one is better 
than another, according as the Eternal 
Good manifesteth itself and worketh 
more in one than in another. Now that 
creature in which the Eternal Good most 
manifesteth itself, shineth forth, worketh, 
is most known and loved, is the best, 
and that wherein the Eternal Good is 
least manifested is the least good of all 
creatures. Therefore when we have to 
do with the creatures and hold converse 
with them, and take note of their diverse 
qualities, the best creatures must always — 
be the dearest to us, and we must cleave 
to them, and unite ourselves to them, 
above all to those which we attribute to 
God as belonging to Him or divine, such 
as wisdom, truth, kindness, peace, love, 
justice, and the like. Hereby shall we 


Theologia Germanica 19 


order our outward man, and all that is 
contrary to these virtues we must eschew 
and flee from. 

But if our inward man were to make 
a leap and spring into the Perfect, we 
should find and taste how that the Perfect 
is without measure, number or end, better 
and nobler than all which is imperfect 
and in part, and the Eternal above the 
temporal or perishable, and the fountain 
and source above all that floweth or can 
ever flow from it. Thus that which is 
imperfect and in part would become 
tasteless and be as nothing to us. Be 
assured of this: All that we have said 
must come to pass if we are to love that 
which is noblest, highest and best. 


20 Theologia Germanica 


CHAPTER VII 


Of the Eyes of the Spirit wherewith Man /ooketh 
into Eternity and into Time, and how the one is 
hindered of the other in its Working. 


sJET us remember how it is 
written and said that the soul 


: of Christ had two eyes, a right 
and a left eye. In the beginning, when 
the soul of Christ was created, she fixed 
her right eye upon eternity and the God- 
head, and remained in the full intuition 
and enjoyment of the Divine Essence 
and Eternal Perfection; and continued 
thus unmoved and undisturbed by all 
the accidents and travail, suffering, tor- 
ment and pain that ever befell the out- 
ward man. But with the left eye she 
beheld the creature and perceived all 


Theologia Germanica 21 


things therein, and took note of the 
difference between the creatures, which 
were better or worse, nobler or meaner ; 
and thereafter was the outward man of 
Christ ordered. 

Thus the inner man of Christ, accord- 
ing to the right eye of His soul, stood in 
the full exercise of His divine nature, in 
perfect blessedness, joy and eternal peace. 
But the outward man and the left eye of 
Christ’s soul, stood with Him in perfect 
suffering, in all tribulation, affliction and 
travail ; and this in such sort that the 
inward and right eye remained unmoved, 
unhindered and untouched by all the 
travail, suffering, grief and anguish that 
ever befell the outward man. It hath 
been said that when Christ. was bound 
to the pillar and scourged, and when He 
hung upon the cross, according to the 
outward man, yet His inner man, or soul 


22 Theologia Germanica 


according to the right eye, stood in as 
full possession of divine joy and blessed- 
ness as it did after His ascension, or as it 
doth now. In like manner His outward 
man, or soul with the left eye, was never 
hindered, disturbed or troubled by the 
inward eye in its contemplation of the 
outward things that belonged to it. 

Now the created soul of man hath 
also two eyes. The one is the power of - 
seeing into eternity, the other of seeing 
into time and the creatures, of perceiving 
how they differ from each other as afore- 
said, of giving life and needful things to 
the body, and ordering and governing it 
for the best. But these two eyes of the 
soul of man cannot both perform their 
work at once; but if the soul shall see 
with the right eye into eternity, then the 
left eye must close itself and refrain from 
working, and be as though it were dead. 


Theologia Germanica 23 


For if the left eye be fulfilling its office 
toward outward things; that is, holding 
converse with time and the creatures; 
then must the right eye be hindered in 
its working ; that is, in its contempla- 
tion. Therefore whosoever will have the 
one must let the other go; for “no man 
can serve two masters.” 


CHAPTER VIII 


How the Soul of Man, while it is yet in the Body, 
may obtain a Foretaste of eternal Blessedness. 


<G|T hath been asked whether it be 
D possible for the soul, while it is 
yet in the body, to reach so 


high as to cast a glance into eternity, and 
receive a foretaste of eternal life and 
eternal blessedness. This is commonly 


24 Theologia Germanica 


denied ; and truly so in a sense. For it 
indeed cannot be so long as the soul is 
taking heed to the body, and the things 
which minister and appertain thereto, and 
to time and the creature, and is disturbed 
and troubled and distracted thereby. 
For if the soul shall rise to such a state, — 
she must be quite pure, wholly stripped 
and bare of all images, and be entirely 
separate from all creatures, and above all 
from herself. Now many think this is — 
not to be done and is impossible in this 
present time. But St. Dionysius main- 
tains that it is possible, as we find from 
his words in his Epistle to Timothy, 
where he saith: “‘For the beholding of — 
the hidden things of God, shalt thou for- 
sake sense and the things of the flesh, 
and all that the senses can apprehend, 
and that reason of her own powers can 
bring forth, and all things created and 


Theologia Germanica Zs 


uncreated that reason is able to compre- 
hend and know, and shalt take thy stand 
upon an utter abandonment of thyself, 
and as knowing none of the aforesaid 
things, and enter into union with Him 
who is, and who is above all existence 
and all knowledge.” Now if he did not 
hold this to be possible in this present 
time, why should he teach it and enjoin 
it on us in this present time? But it be- 
hoveth you to know that a master hath 
said on this passage of St. Dionysius, that 
it is possible, and may happen to a man 
often, till he become so accustomed to it, 
as to be able to look into eternity when- 
ever he will. [For when a thing is at 
first very hard to a man and strange, and 
seemingly quite impossible, if he put all 
his strength and energy into it, and per- 
severe therein, that will afterward grow 
quite light and easy, which he at first 


26 Theologia Germanica 


thought quite out of reach, seeing that it 
is of no use to begin any work, unless it 
may be brought to a good end. ] 

And a single one of these excellent 
glances is better, worthier, higher and 
more pleasing to God, than all that the 
creature can perform as a creature. 
[And as soon as a man turneth himself - 
in spirit, and with his whole heart and 
mind entereth into the mind of God 
which is above time, all that ever he hath 
lost is restored in a moment. And if a 
man were to do thus a thousand times in 
a day, each time a fresh and real union 
would take place; and in this sweet and 
divine work standeth the truest and full- 
est union that may be in this present 
time. For he who hath attained thereto, — 
asketh nothing further, for he hath found 
the Kingdom of Heaven and Eternal 
Life on earth. ] 


Theologia Germanica 27 


CHAPTER IX 


How it is better and more profitable for a Man that 
he should perceive what God will do with him, or 
to what end He will make Use of him, than if he 
knew all that God had ever wrought, or would 
ever work through all the Creatures; and how 
Blessedness lieth alone in God, and not in the 
Creatures, or in any Works. 


E should mark and know of a~ — 
very truth that all manner of 


ek virtue and goodness, and even 
that Eternal Good which is God Himself, 
can never make a man virtuous, good, 
or happy, so long as it is outside the 
soul; [that is, so long as the man is ~ 
holding converse with outward things 
through his senses and reason, and doth 
not withdraw into himself and learn to 
understand his own life, who and what he 


28 Theologia Germanica 


is]. The like is true of sin and evil. 
[For all manner of sin and wickedness 
can never make us evil, so long as it is 
outside of us; that is, so long as we do 
not commit it, or do not give consent to 
it. | 

Therefore although it be good and 
profitable that we should ask, and learn 
and know, what good and holy men 
have wrought and suffered, and how God 
hath dealt with them, and what He hath 
wrought in and through them, yet it ~ 
were a thousand times better that we 
should in ourselves learn and perceive 
and understand, who we are, how and 
what our own life is, what God is and is 
doing in us, what He will have from us, 
and to what ends He will or will not 
make use of us. [For, of a truth, 
thoroughly to know oneself, is above all 
art, for it is the highest art. If thou 


Theologia Germanica 29 


knowest thyself well, thou art better and 
more praiseworthy before God, than if 
thou didst not know thyself, but didst 
understand the course of the heavens and 
of all the planets and stars, also the 
virtue of all herbs, and the structure and 
dispositions of all mankind, alsothe nature 
of all beasts, and, in such matters, hadst 
all the skill of all who are in heaven and 
on earth. For it is said, there came a 
voice from heaven, saying, ‘“‘ Man, know 
thyself.”] Thus that proverb is still true, 
“Going out were never so good, but 
staying at home were much better.” 
Further, ye should learn that eternal 
blessedness lieth in one thing alone, and 
in nought else. And if ever man or the 
soul is to be made blessed, that one thing 
alone must be in the soul. Now some 
might ask, ‘‘ But what is that one thing?” 
I answer, it is Goodness, or that which 


30 Theologia Germanica 


hath been made good; and yet neither 
this good nor that, which we can name, 
or perceive or show; but it is all and 
above all good things. 

Moreover, it needeth not to enter into 
the soul, for it is there already, only it is 
unperceived. When we say we should 
come unto it, we mean that we should 
seek it, feel it, and taste it. And now 
since it is One, unity and singleness is 
better than manifoldness. For blessed- 
ness lieth not in much and many, but in 
One and oneness. In one word, blessed- 
ness lieth not, in any creature, or work 
of the creatures, but it lieth alone in God 
and in His works. ‘Therefore I must 
wait only on God and His work, and 
leave on one side all creatures with their 
works, and first of all myself. In like 
manner all the great works and wonders 
that God has ever wrought or shall ever 


Theologia Germanica 31 


work in or through the creatures, or even 
God Himself with all His goodness, so far 
as these things exist or are done outside 
of me, can never make me blessed, but 
only in so far as they exist and are done 
and loved, known, tasted and felt within 
me. 


CHAPTER X 


How the perfect Men have no other Desire than that 
they may be to the Eternal Goodness what His 
Hand is to a Man, and how they have lost the 
Fear of Hell, and Hope of Heaven. 


are Baia wick the true 
light, they perceive that all 


which they might desire or choose, is 


nothing to that which all creatures, as 
creatures, ever desired or chose or knew, 


32 Theologia Germanica 


Therefore they renounce all desire and 
choice, and commit and commend them- 
selves and all things to the Eternal Good- 
ness. Nevertheless, there remaineth in 
them a desire to go forward and get 
nearer to the Eternal Goodness ; that is, 
to come to a clearer knowledge, and 
warmer love, and more comfortable 
assurance, and perfect obedience and 
subjection; so that every enlightened 
man could say: ‘I would fain be to 
the Eternal Goodness, what His own 
hand is to a man.” And he feareth 
always that he is not enough so, and 
longeth for the salvation of all men. 
And such men do not call this longing 
their own, nor take it unto themselves, 
for they know well that this desire is not 
of man, but of the Eternal Goodness ; 
for whatsoever is good shall no one take 
unto himself as his own, seeing that it 


~~ 


Theologia Germanica 33 


belongeth to the Eternal Goodness 
only. 

Moreover, these men are in a state of 
freedom, because they have lost the fear 
of pain or hell, and the hope of reward 
or heaven, but are living in pure sub- 
mission to the Eternal Goodness, in the 
perfect freedom of fervent love. This 
mind was in Christ in perfection, and is 
also in His followers, in some more, and 
in some less. But it is a sorrow and 
shame to think that the Eternal Good- 
ness is ever most graciously guiding and 
drawing us, and we will not yield to it. 
What is better and nobler than true 
poorness in spirit? Yet when that is 
held up before us, we will have none of 
it, but are always seeking ourselves, and 
our own things. [We like to have our 
mouths always filled with good things, | 
that we may have in ourselves a lively 

D 


34 Theologia Germanica 


taste of pleasure and sweetness. When 
this is so, we are well pleased, and think 
it standeth not amiss with us. [But we 
are yet along way off from a perfect life. 
For when God will draw us up to some- 
thing higher, that is, to an utter loss and 
forsaking of our own things, spiritual and 
natural, and withdraweth His comfort 
and sweetness from us, we faint and are 
troubled, and can in no wise bring our 
minds to it; and we forget God and 
neglect holy exercises, and fancy we are 
lost for ever.] This is a great error and 
a bad sign. For a true lover of God, 
loveth Him or the Eternal Goodness 
alike, in having and in not having, in 
sweetness and bitterness, in good or 
evil report, and the like, for he seeketh 
alone the honour of God, and not his 
own, either in spiritual or natural things. 
And therefore he standeth alike unshaken - 


Theologia Germanica 35 


in all things, at all seasons. [Hereby let 
every man prove himself, how he stand- 
eth towards God, his Creator and 
Lord. ] 


laf CHAPTER XI 


How a righteous Man in this present Time is 
brought into Hell, and there cannot be comforted, 
and how he is taken out of Hell and carried into 
Heaven, and there cannot be troubled. 


HRIST’S soul must _ needs 
descend into hell, before it 
ascended into heaven. So 

must also the soul of man. But mark 
ye in what manner this cometh to pass. 
When a man truly perceiveth and con- 
sidereth himself, who and what he is, 
and findeth himself utterly vile and 
wicked, and unworthy of all the comfort 
and kindness that he hath ever received 


36 Theologia Germanica 


from God, or from the creatures, he 
falleth into such a deep abasement and 
despising of himself, that he thinketh 
himself unworthy that the earth should 
bear him, and it seemeth to him reason- 
able that all creatures in heaven and 
earth should rise up against him and 
avenge their Creator on him, and should 
punish and torment him; and that he 
were unworthy even of that. And it 
seemeth to him that he shall be eternally 
lost and damned, and a footstool to all 
the devils in hell, and that this is right 
and just [and all too little compared to 
his sins which he so often and in so many 
ways hath committed against God his 
Creator]. And therefore also he will not 
and dare not desire any consolation or 
release, either from God or from any 
creature that is in heaven or on earth; 
but he is willing to be unconsoled and 


Theologia Germanica 37 


unreleased, and he doth not grieve over 
his condemnation and sufferings ; for they 
are right and just, and not contrary to 
God, but according to the will of God. 
Therefore they are right in his eyes, and 
he hath nothing to say against them. 
Nothing grieveth him but his own guilt 
and wickedness ; for that is not right and 
is contrary to God, and for that cause he 
is grieved and troubled in spirit. 

This is what is meant by true repent- 
ance for sin. And he who in this 
present time entereth into this hell, 
entereth afterward into the Kingdom of 
Heaven, and obtaineth a foretaste there- 
of which excelleth all the delight and joy 
which he ever hath had or could have in 
this present time from temporal things. 
But whilst a man is thus in hell, none 
may console him, neither God nor the 
creature, as it is written, “In hell there 


38 Theologia Germanica 


is no redemption.” * Of this state hath 
one said, ‘Let me > pershylep amc 
die! I live without hope; from within 
and from without I am condemned, let 
no one pray that I may be released.” 
Now God hath not forsaken a man in 
this hell, but He is laying His hand upon 
him, that the man may not desire nor 
regard anything but the Eternal Good 
only, and may come to know that that is 
so noble and passing good, that none can 
search out or express its bliss, consolation 
and joy, peace, rest and satisfaction. 
And then, when the man neither careth — 
for, nor seeketh, nor desireth, anything 
but the Eternal Good alone, and seeketh 
not himself, nor his own things, but the 
honour of God only, he is made a 
partaker of all manner of joy, bliss, 
peace, rest and consolation, and so the 


1 The writer is probably alluding to Ps. xlix. 8. 


Theologia Germanica 39 


man is henceforth in the Kingdom of 
Heaven. 

This hell and this heaven are two 
good, safe ways for a man in this present 
time, and happy is he who truly findeth 


them. 
For this hell shall pass away, 


But Heaven shall endure for aye. 


Also let a man mark, when he is in 
this hell, nothing may console him ; and 
he cannot believe that he shall ever be 
released or comforted. But when he is 
in heaven, nothing can trouble him ; he 
believeth also that none will ever be able 
to offend or trouble him, albeit it is 
indeed true, that after this hell he may 
be comforted and released, and after this 
heaven he may be troubled and left with- 
out consolation. 

Again: this hell and this heaven come 
about a man in such sort, that he knows 


40 Theologia Germanica 


eth not whence they come; and whether 
they come to him, or depart from him, 
he can of himself do nothing towards it. 
Of these things he can neither give nor 
take away from himself, bring them nor 
banish them, but as it is written, ‘“‘ The 
wind bloweth where it listeth, and thou 
hearest the sound thereof,” that is to say, 
at this time present, ‘‘ but thou knowest 
not whence it cometh, nor whither it 
goeth.”* And when a man is in one of 
these two states, all is right with him, 
and he is as safe in hell as in heaven, and 
so long as a man is on earth, it is possible 
for him to pass ofttimes from the one 
into the other; nay even within the 
space of a day and night, and all without 
his own doing. But when the man is in 
neither of these two states he holdeth 
converse with the creature, and wavereth 
- 1 John iii. 8. 


Theologia Germanica 41 


hither and thither, and knoweth not what 
manner of man he is. ‘Therefore he 
shall never forget either of them, but lay 
up the remembrance of them in his heart. 


CHAPTER XII 


Touching that true inward Peace, which Christ left 
to His Disciples at the last. 


ANA hy ANY say they have no peace 
Nal nor rest, but so many crosses 


sorrows, that they know not how they 
shall ever get through them. Now he 
who in truth will perceive and take note, 


and trials, afflictions and 


perceiveth Clearly, that true peace and 
rest lie not in outward things ; for if it 
were so, the Evil Spirit also would have 
peace when things go according to his 


42 Theologia Germanica 


will [which is nowise the case; for the 
prophet declareth, “There is no peace, 
saith my God, to the wicked” *]. And - 
therefore we must consider and see what 
is that peace which Christ left to His 
disciples at the last, when He said: “*‘ My 
peace I leave with you, My peace I give 
2 [We may perceive that in 
these words Christ did not mean a bodily 


unto you. 


and outward peace; for His beloved 
disciples, with all His friends and 
followers, have ever suffered, from the 
beginning, great affliction, persecution, 
nay, often martyrdom, as Christ Himself 
said: “In this world ye shall have 
tribulation.”* But Christ meant that 
true, inward peace of the heart, which 
beginneth here, and endureth for ever 
hereafter. Therefore He said] : “ Notas 
the world giveth,” for the world is false, 


1 Tsaiah lvii. 21. 2 John xiv.27. 8 John xvi. 33. 


Theologia Germanica 43 


and deceiveth in her gifts [she promis- 
eth much, and performeth little. More- 
over there liveth no man on earth who 
may always have rest and peace with- 
out troubles and crosses, with whom 
things always go according to his will ; 
there is always something to be suffered 
here, turn which way you will. And as 
soon as you are quit of one assault, per- 


haps two come in its place. Wherefore - 


yield thyself willingly to them, and seek 
only that true peace of the heart, which 
none can take away from thee, that thou 
mayest overcome all assaults]. 

Thus then, Christ meant that inward 
peace which can break through ll 
assaults and crosses of oppression, suffer- 
ing, misery, humiliation and what more 
there may beof the like, so that a man 
may be joyful and patient therein, like 
the beloved disciples and followers of 


1 


44 Theologia Germanica 


Christ. Now he who will in love give 
his whole diligence and might thereto, 
will verily come to know that true 
eternal peace which is God Himself, as 
far as it is possible to a creature ; [inso- 
much that what was bitter to him before, 
shall become sweet, and his heart shall 
remain unmoved under all changes, at all 
times, and after this life, he shall attain 
unto everlasting peace]. 


CHAPTER Xam 
How a Man may cast aside Images too soon. 


AULER saith: ‘ There be some 
men at the present time, who 
take leave of types and symbols 

too soon, before they have drawn out all 
the truth and instruction contained there- 


> 


in.” Hence they are scarcely or perhaps 


Theologia Germanica 45 


never able to understand the truth aright.! 
[For such men will follow no one, and 
lean unto their own understandings, 
and desire to fly before they are fledged. 
They would fain mount up to heaven in 
one flight ; albeit Christ did not so, for 
after His resurrection, He remained full 
forty days with His beloved disciples. 
No one can be made perfect in a day. 
A man must begin by denying himself, 
and willingly forsaking all things for 
God’s sake, and must give up his own 
will, and all his natural inclinations, and 
separate and cleanse himself thoroughly 
from all sins and evil ways. After this, 
let him humbly take up the cross and 
follow Christ. Also let him take and 


1 Here Luther’s Edition has the following passage instead 
of the remainder of this chapter ; “‘ Therefore we should at all 
times give diligent heed to the works of God and His command- 
ments, movings and admonitions, and not to the works or 


commandments or admonitions of men,” 


Ye 


46 Theologia Germanica 


receive example and instruction, reproof, 
counsel and teaching from devout and 
perfect servants of God, and not follow 
his own guidance. ‘Thus the work shall 
be established and come to a good end. 
And when a man hath thus broken loose 
from and outleaped all temporal things 
and creatures, he may afterwards become 
perfect in a life of contemplation. For 
he who will have the one must let the 
other go. There is no other way. ] 


CHAPTER XIV 


Of three Stages by which a Man is led upwards till 
he attaineth true Perfection. 


pIOW be assured that no one can 
be enlightened unless he be 


first cleansed or purified and 
stripped. So also, no one can be united 


Theologia Germanica 47 


with God unless he be first enlightened. 
Thus there are three stages: first, the ~ 
purification ; secondly, the enlightening ; 
thirdly, the union. [The purification 
concerneth those who are beginning or 
repenting, and is brought to pass in a 
threefold wise; by contrition and sorrow 
for sin, by full confession, by hearty 
amendment. Theenlightening belongeth 
to such as are growing, and also taketh 
place in three ways: to wit, by the 
eschewal of sin, by the practice of virtue 
and good works, and by the willing en- 
durance of all manner of temptation and 
trials. The union belongeth to such as 
are perfect, and also is brought to pass 
in three ways: to wit, by pureness and 
singleness of heart, by love, and by the 
contemplation of God, the Creator of all 
things. | 


48 Theologia Germanica 


CHAPTER 


How all Men are dead in Adam and are made alive 
again in Christ, and of true Obedience and 


Disobedience. 


CAN) 


LL that in Adam fell and died, 


was raised again and made alive 
— ay 


in Christ, and all that rose up 
and was made alive in Adam, fell and 

died in Christ. But what was that? I _ 
answer, true obedience and disobedience. 
But what is true obedience? I answer, 
that a man should so stand free, being 
quit of himself, that is, of his I, and Me, 
and Self, and Mine, and the like, that in 
all things, he should no more seek or 
regard himself, than if he did not exist, 
and should take as little account of him- 
self as if he were not, and another had 


Theologia Germanica 49 


done all his works. Likewise he should 
count all the creatures for nothing. 
What is there then, which is, and which 
we may count for somewhat? I answer, 
nothing but that which we may call God. 
Behold! this is very obedience in the 
truth, and thus it will be in a blessed 
eternity. There nothing is sought nor 
thought of, nor loved, but the one thing 
only. 

Hereby we may mark what dis- 
* obedience is: to wit, that a man maketh 
some account of himself, and thinketh 
that he is, and knoweth, and can do 
somewhat, ahd seeketh himself and his 
own ends in the things around him, and 
hath regard to and loveth himself, and 
the like. Man is created for true obe- — 
dience, and is bound of right to render 
it to God. And this obedience fell and 
died in Adam, and rose again and lived 

E 


50 Theologia Germanica 


in Christ. Yea, Christ’s human nature 
was so utterly bereft of Self, and apart 
from all creatures, as no man’s ever was, 
and was nothing else but “a house and 
habitation of God.” Neither of that in 
Him which belonged to God, nor of that 
which was a living human nature and a 
habitation of God, did He, as man, claim 
anything for His own. His human 
nature did not even take unto itself the 
Godhead, whose dwelling it was, nor any- 
thing that this same Godhead willed, or 
did or left undone in Him, nor yet any- 
thing of all that His human nature did or 
suffered ; but in Christ’s human nature 
there was no claiming of anything, nor 
seeking nor desire, saving that what was 
due might be rendered to the Godhead, 
and He did not call this very desire His 
own. Of this matter no more can be 
said. or written here, for it is unspeakable, 


Theologia Germanica 51 


and was never yet and never will be fully 
uttered ; for it can neither be spoken nor 
written but by Him who is and knows 
its ground ; that is, God Himself, who 
can do all things well. 


CHAPTER XVI 


Telleth us what is the old Man, and what 
is the new Man. 


iG iG GAIN, when we read of the old 
uN man and the new man we must 
ES) mark what that meaneth. The 
old man is Adam and disobedience, the 
Self, the Me, and so forth. But the new 
man is Christ and true obedience, [a 
giving up and denying oneself of all 
temporal things, and seeking the honour 


of God alone in all things]. And when 


52 Theologia Germanica 


dying and perishing and the like are 
spoken of, it meaneth that the old man 
should be destroyed, and not seek its own 
either in spiritual or in natural things. 
For where this is brought about in a true 
divine light, there the new man is born 
again. In like manner, it hath been said — 
that man should die unto himself [that 
is, to earthly pleasures, consolations, joys, 
appetites, the I, the Self, and all that is 
thereof in man, to which he clingeth 
and on which he is yet leaning with 
content, and thinketh much of. Whether 
it be the man himself, or any other 
creature, whatever it be, it must depart 
and die, if the man is to be brought 
aright to another mind, according to the 
truth]. 
Thereunto doth St. Paul exhort us, _ 

saying : ‘“‘ Put off concerning the former 
conversation the old man, which is 


Theologia Germanica 53 


corrupt according to the deceitful lusts: 

. and that ye put on the new man, 
which after God is created in righteous- 
”1 Now he who 
liveth to himself after the old man, is 
called and is truly a child of Adam ; and 
though he may give diligence to the 
ordering of his life, he is still the child 
and brother of the Evil Spirit. But he 
who liveth in humble obedience and in 


ness and true holiness. 


the new man which is Christ, he is, in 
like manner, the brother of Christ and 
the child of God. 

Behold !’ where the old man dieth and 
the new man is born, there is that second 
birth of which Christ saith, “Except a 
man be born again, he cannot enter into 
the kingdom of God.”? Likewise St. 
Paul saith, ‘‘ As in Adam all die, even so 
in Christ shall all be made alive.”* That 


1 Ephesians iv. 22,24. 7 Johniii.3. *% 1 Cor. xv. 22. 


54 Theologia Germanica 


is to say, all who follow Adam in pride, 
in lust of the flesh, and in disobedience, 
are dead in soul, and never will or can 
be made alive but in Christ. And for 
this cause, so long as a man is an Adam 
or his child, he is without God. Christ 
saith, ‘“ He who is not with Me is against 
Me.”? Now he who is against God, is 
dead before God. Whence it followeth 
that all Adam’s children are dead before 
God. But he who standeth with Christ 
in perfect obedience, he is with God and 
liveth. As it hath been said already, sin 
lieth in the turning away of the creature 
from the Creator, which agreeth with 
what we have now said. 

For he who is in disobedience is in 
sin, and sin can never be atoned for or 
healed but by returning to God, and this 
is brought to pass by humble obedience. 


1 Matt. xii, 30. 


Theologia Germanica 55 


For so long as a man continueth in dis- 
obedience, his sin can never be blotted 
out ; let him do what he will, it availeth 
him nothing. Let us be assured of this. 
For disobedience is itself sin. But when 
a man entereth into the obedience of 
the faith, all is healed, and blotted out 
and forgiven, and not else. Insomuch 
that if the Evil Spirit himself could come 
into true obedience, he would become an 
angel again, and all his sin and wicked- 
ness would be healed and blotted out 
and forgiven at once. And could an 
angel fall into disobedience, he would 
straightway become an evil spirit al- 
though he did nothing afresh. 

If then it were possible for a man to 
renounce himself and all things, and to 
live as wholly and purely in true obedi- 
ence, as Christ did in His human nature, 
such a man were quite without sin, and 


56 Theologia Germanica 


were one thing with Christ, and the 
same by grace which Christ was by 
nature. But it is said this cannot be. 
So also it is said: ‘‘ There is none with- 
out sin.” But be that as it may, this 
much is certain; that the nearer we are 
to perfect obedience, the less we sin, 
and the farther from it we are, the more 
we sin. In brief: whether a man be 
good, better, or best of all; bad, worse, 
or worst of all; sinful or saved before 
God; it all lieth in this matter of obedi- 
ence. Therefore it hath been said: the 
more of Self and Me, the more of sin and 
wickedness. So likewise it hath been 
said: the more the Self, the I, the Me, 
the Mine, that 1s, self-seeking and selfish- 
ness, abate in a man, the more doth God’s 
I, that is, God Himself, increase in him. 

Now, if all mankind abode in true 
obedience, there would be no grief nor 


Theologia Germanica 57 


sorrow. For if it were so, all men would 
be at one, and none would vex or harm 
another ; so also, none would lead a life 
or do any deed contrary to God’s will. 
Whence then should grief or sorrow 
arise? But now alas! all men, nay the 
whole world lieth in disobedience! 
Now were a man simply and wholly 
obedient as Christ was, all disobedience 
were to him a sharp and bitter pain. 
But though all men were against him, 
they could neither shake nor trouble him, 
for while in this obedience a man were 
one with God, and God Himself were 
[one with] the man. 

_ Behold now all disobedience is con- 
trary to God, and nothing else. In 
truth, no Thing is contrary to God; no 
creature nor creature’s work, nor any- 
thing that we can name or think of is 
contrary to God or displeasing to Him, 


58 Theologia Germanica 


but only disobedience and the disobedient 
man. In short, all that is, is well- 
pleasing and good in God’s eyes, saving 
only the disobedient man. But he is 
so displeasing and hateful to God and 
grieveth Him so sore, that if it were 
possible for human nature to die a 
_ hundred deaths, God would willingly 
. suffer them all for one disobedient man, 
that He might slay disobedience in him, 
and that obedience might be born again. 


Behold! albeit no man may be so —— 


single and perfect in this obedience as 
Christ was, yet it is possible to every man 
to approach so near thereunto as to be 


rightly called Godlike, and “a partaker 


of the divine nature.”! And the nearer a 
mancometh thereunto, and the more God- 
like and divine he becometh, the more 
he hateth all disobedience, sin, evil and 


1 2 Peter i. 4. 


Theologia Germanica 59 


unrighteousness, and the worse they 
grieve him. Disobedience and sin are 
the same thing, for there is no sin but 
disobedience, and what is done of dis- 
obedience is all sin. Therefore all we 
have to do is to keep ourselves from 
disobedience. 


CHAPTER XVII 


How we are not to take unto ourselves what we 
have done well, but only what we have done 


amiss. 


EHOLD! now it is reported 


there be some who vainly think 


and say that they are so wholly 
dead to self and quit of it, as to have 
reached and abide in a state where they 
suffer nothing and are moved by nothing, 
just as if all men were living in obedience, 


60 Theologia Germanica 


or as if there were no creatures. And 
thus they profess to continue always in 
an even temper of mind, so that nothing 
cometh amiss to them, howsoever things 
fall out, well or ill. Nay verily! the 
matter standeth not so, but as we have 
said. It might be thus, if all men were 
brought into obedience ; but until then, 
it cannot be. 

But it may be asked: Are not we to 
be separate from all things, and neither to 
take unto ourselves evil nor good? I 

»dw, answer, no one shall take goodness unto 
himself, for that belongeth to God and 
His goodness only; but thanks be 


Fim 6 


unto the man, and everlasting reward 
and blessings, who is fit and ready to be 
a dwelling and tabernacle of the Eternal 
Goodness and Godhead, wherein God 
may exert His power, and will and work - 
without hindrance. But if any now will — 


Theologia Germanica 61 


excuse himself for sin, by refusing to take 
what is evil unto himself, and laying the 
guilt thereof upon the Evil Spirit, and 
thus make himself out to be quite pure 
and innocent (as our first parents Adam 
and Eve did while they were yet in 
paradise ; when each laid the guilt upon 
the other), he hath no right at all to 
do this; for it is written, ‘‘ There is 
none without sin.” Therefore I say; 
reproach, shame, loss, woe, and eternal 
damnation be to the man who is fit and 
ready and willing that the Evil Spirit 
and falsehood, lies and all untruthfulness, 
wickedness and other evil things should 
have their will and pleasure, word and 
work in him, and make him their house 
| and habitation. 


62 Theologia Germanica 


CHAPTER XVIII 


How that the Life of Christ is the noblest and 
best Life that ever hath been or can be, and 
how a careless Life of false Freedom is the 
worst Life that can be. 


F a truth we ought to know 
and believe that there is no life 
so noble and good and well 

pleasing to God, as the life of Christ, and 

yet it is to nature and selfishness the 
bitterest life. A life of carelessness and - 
freedom is to nature and the Self and the 

Me, the sweetest and pleasantest life, but 

it is not the best ; and in some men may 

become the worst. But though Christ’s - 
life be the most bitter of all, yet it is to 
be preferred above all. Hereby shall ye 
mark this: There is an inward sight 


‘i 


Theologia Germanica 63 


which hath power to perceive the One 
true Good, and that it is neither this nor 
that, but that of which St. Paul saith; 
“When that which is perfect is come, 
then that which is in part shall be done 
away.” By this he meaneth, that the 
Whole and Perfect excelleth all the 
fragments, and that all which is in part 
and imperfect, is as nought compared to 
the Perfect. Thus likewise all know- 
ledge of the parts is swallowed up when 
the Whole is known; and where that 
Good is known, it cannot but be longed 
for and loved so greatly, that all other 
love wherewith the man _ hath loved 
himself and other things, fadeth away. 
And that inward sight likewise perceiveth 
what is best and noblest in all things, 
and loveth it in the one true Good, and 
only for the sake of that true Good. 


1 y Cor, xiii. 10. 


64 Theologia Germanica 


Behold! where there is this inward 
sight, the man perceiveth of a truth, that 
Christ’s life is the best and noblest life, 
and therefore the most to be preferred, 
and he willingly accepteth and endureth 
it, without a question or a complaint, 
whether it please or offend nature or 
other men, whether he like or dislike it, 
find it sweet or bitter and the like. 
And therefore wherever this perfect and 
true Good is known, there also the life of 
Christ must be led, until the death of 
the body. And he who vainly thinketh 
otherwise is deceived, and he who saith 
otherwise, lieth, and in what man the 
life of Christ is not, of him the true Good 
and eternal Truth will nevermore be 
known. 


Theologia Germanica 65 


CHAPTER XIX 


How we cannot come to the true Light and Christ's 
Life, by much Questioning or Reading, or by high 
natural Skill and Reason, but by truly renouncing 
ourselves and all Things. 


attain to this true light and 
perfect knowledge, or life of 


Christ, by much questioning, or by hear- 
say, or by reading and study, nor yet 
by high skill and great learning. Yea, 
so long as a man taketh account of 
anything which is this or that, whether 
it be himself, or any other creature; or 
doeth anything, or frameth a purpose, for 
the sake of his own likings or desires, or 
opinions, or ends, he cometh not unto 
the life of Christ. This hath Christ 
F 


66 Theologia Germanica 


Himself declared, for He saith: “If any 
man will come after Me, let him deny 
himself, and take up his cross, and follow 
Me.”! ‘He that taketh not his cross, 
and followeth after Me, is not worthy of 
Me.”2 And if he ‘hate not his father 
and mother, and wife, and children, and 
brethren and sisters, yea, and his own 
life also, he cannot be My disciple.” * He 
meaneth it thus: ‘‘ He who doth not 
forsake and part with everything, can 
never know My eternal truth, nor attain 
unto My life.” And though this had 
never been declared unto us, yet the 
truth herself sayeth it, for it is so of a 
truth. But so long as a man clingeth | 
unto the elements and fragments of this 
world (and above all to himself), and 
holdeth converse with them, and maketh 
great account of them, he is deceived 


1 Matt. xvi. 24. 2 Matt. x. 38. 3 Luke xiv. 26. 


Theologia Germanica 67 


and blinded, and perceiveth what is good 
no further than as it is most convenient 
and pleasant to himself and profitable to 
his own ends. These he holdeth to be 
the highest good and loveth above all. 
[Thus he never cometh to the truth. ] 


CHAPTER XX 


How, seeing that the Life of Christ is most bitter 
to Nature and Self, Nature will have none of 
it, and chooseth a false careless Life, as is most con- 
venient to her. 


OW, since the life of Christ is 
5 every way most bitter to nature 
and the Self and the Me (for in 
the true life of Christ, the Self and the 
Me and nature must be forsaken and 


lost, and die altogether), therefore, in 
each of us, nature hath a horror of it, and 


68 Theologia Germanica 


thinketh it evil and unjust and a folly, 
and graspeth after such a life as shall be 
most comfortable and pleasant to herself, 
and saith, and believeth also in her 
blindness, that such a life is the best 
possible. Now, nothing is so com- 
fortable and pleasant to nature, as a free, 
careless way of life, therefore she clingeth 
to that, and taketh enjoyment in herself 
and her own powers, and looketh only 
to her own peace and comfort and the 
like. And this happeneth most of all, - 
where there are high natural gifts of 
reason, for that soareth upwards in its 
own light and by its own power, till at 
last it cometh to think itself the true 
Eternal Light, and giveth itself out as 
such, and is thus deceived in itself, and 
deceiveth other people along with it, who 
know no better, and also are thereunto 
inclined. . 


Theologia Germanica 69 


CHAPTER xx! 


How a Friend of Christ willingly fulfilleth by bis 
outward Works, such Things as must be and ought 
to be, and doth not concern himself with the rest. 


B|OW, it may be asked, what is 
the state of a man who follow- 
eth the true Light to the 
utmost of his power? I answer truly, 
it will never be declared aright, for he 
who is not such a man, can neither 


understand nor know it, and he who is, 
knoweth it indeed; but he cannot utter 
it, for it is unspeakable. Therefore let — 
him who would know it, give his whole 
diligence that he may enter therein ; 
then will he see and find what hath 
never been uttered by man’s lips. How- 
ever, I believe that such a man hath liberty 


70 Theologia Germanica 


as to his outward walk and conversation, 
so long as they consist with what must 
be or ought to be; but they may not 
consist with what he merely willeth to 
be. But oftentimes a man maketh to 
himself many must-be’s and ought-to- 
be’s which are false. The which ye may 
see hereby, that when a man is moved 
by his pride or covetousness or other 
evil dispositions, to do or leave undone 
anything, he ofttimes saith, “It must 
needs be so, and ought to beso.” Or 
if he is driven to, or held back from 
anything by the desire to find favour 
in men’s eyes, or by love, friendship, 
enmity, or the lusts and appetites of his 
body, he saith, “It must needs be so, 
and ought to be so.” Yet behold, that 
is utterly false. Had we no must-be’s, - 
nor ought-to-be’s, but such as God and 
the Truth show us, and constrain us to, 


Theologia Germanica 71 


we should have less, forsooth, to order 
and do than now ; [for we make to our- 
selves much disquietude and difficulty 
which we might well be spared and 
raised above]. 


CHAPTER XXII 


How sometimes the Spirit of God, and sometimes also 
the Evil Spirit may possess a Man and have the 
mastery over him. 


G|T is written that sometimes the 
Devil and his spirit do so enter 


into and possess a man, that he 
knoweth not what he doeth and leaveth 
undone, and hath no power over himself, 
but the Evil Spirit hath the mastery 
over him, and doeth and leaveth undone 
in, and with, and through, and by the 
man what he will. It is true in a sense 


72 Theologia Germanica 


that all the world is subject to and pos- 
sessed with the Evil Spirit, that is, with 
lies, falsehood, and other vices and evil 
ways; this also cometh of the Evil 
Spirit, but in a different sense. 
Now, a man who should be in like 
manner possessed by the Spirit of God, 
so that he should not know what he 
doeth or leaveth undone, and have no 
power over himself, but the will and 
Spirit of God should have the mastery 
over him, and work, and do, and leave 
undone with him and by him, what and 
as God would; such a man were one of 
those of whom St. Paul saith: ‘ For as 
many as are led by the Spirit of God, 
they are the sons of God,’? and they 
“are not under the law, but under 
grace,’” and to whom Christ saith: 
“For it is not ye that speak, but the 


1 Rom. viii. 14. 2 Rom. vi. 14. 


- Theologia Germanica 73 


Spirit of your Father which speaketh in 
you.” ? 

But I fear that for one who is truly 
possessed with the Spirit of God, there 
are a hundred thousand or an innumer- 
able multitude possessed with the Evil | 
Spirit. This is because men have more. 
likeness to the Evil Spirit than to God. 
For the Self, the I, the Me and the like, 
all belong to the Evil Spirit, and there- 
fore it is, that he is an Evil Spirit. 
Behold one or two words can utter all 
that hath been said by these many 
words: ‘Be simply and wholly bereft 
of Self.” But by these many words, 
the matter hath been more fully sifted, 
proved, and set forth. 

Now men say, “I am in no wise 
prepared for ‘this work, and therefore it 
cannot be wrought in me,” and thus 


1 Matt. x. 20. 


74 Theologia Germanica 


they find an excuse, so that they neither 
are ready nor in the way to be so. And 
truly there is no one to blame for this 
but themselves. For if a man were 
looking and striving after nothing but 
to find a preparation in all things, and 
diligently gave his whole mind to see 
how he might become prepared ; verily 
God would well prepare him, for God 
giveth as much care and earnestness and 
love to the preparing of a man, as to the 
pouring in of His Spirit when the man 
is prepared. 

Yet there be certain means thereunto, 
as the saying is, ‘To learn an art which 
thou knowest not, four things are need- 
ful.” The first and most needful of 
all is, a great desire and diligence and 
constant endeavour to learn the art. 
And where this is wanting, the art will 


1 See note, p. 79. 


} 


Theologia Germanica 75 


never be learned. The second is, a copy 
or ensample by which thou mayest learn. 
The third is to give earnest heed to the 
master, and watch how he worketh, and 
to be obedient to him in all things, and 
to trust him and/ follow him. The 
fourth is to put thy own hand to the 
work, and practise it with all industry. 
But where one of these four is wanting, 
the art will never be learned and 
mastered. So likewise is it with this 
preparation. For he who hath the first, 
that is, thorough diligence and constant, 
persevering desire towards his end, will 
also seek and find all that appertaineth 
thereunto, or is serviceable and profitable 
to it. But he who hath not that earnest- 
ness and diligence, love and desire, seeketh 
not, and therefore findeth not, and there- 
fore remaineth ever unprepared. And 
therefore he never attaineth unto that end. 


76 Theologia Germanica 


CHAPTERMaw 


He who will submit himself to God and be obedient 
to Him, must be ready to bear with all Things ; 


to wit, God, himself, and all Creatures, and must 
be obedient to them all, whether he have to suffer 
or to do. 


HERE be some who talk of 


other ways and preparations to 


this end, and say we must lie 
still under God’s hand, and be obedient 
and resigned and submit to Him. This 
is true; for all this would be perfected 
in a man who should attain to the utter- 
most that can be reached in this present 
time. But if a man ought and is willing 
to lie still under God’s hand, he must 
and ought also to be still under all 
things, whether they come from God, 


Theologia Germanica 77 


himself, or the creatures, nothing ex- 
cepted. And he who would be obedient, - 
resigned and submissive to God, must 
and ought to be also resigned, obedient 
and submissive to all things, in a spirit 
of yielding, and not of resistance, and 
take them in silence, resting on the 
hidden foundations of his soul, and 
having a secret inward patience, that 
enableth him to take all chances or 
crosses willingly, and whatever befalleth, 
neither to call for nor desire any redress, 
or deliverance, or resistance, or revenge, 
but always in a loving, sincere humility 
to cry, “Father, forgive them, for they 
know not what they do!” 

Behold! this were a good path to that 
which is Best, and a noble and blessed 
preparation for the farthest goal which a 
man may reach in this present time. 


This is the lovely life of Christ, for He 


78 Theologia Germanica 


walked in the aforesaid paths perfectly 
and wholly unto the end of His bodily 
life on earth. Therefore there is no - 
other and better way or preparation’ to 
the joyful life of Jesus Christ, than this 
same course, and to exercise oneself 
therein, as much as may be. And of 
what belongeth thereunto we have 
already said somewhat ; nay, all that we 
have here or elsewhere said and written, 
is but a way or means to that end. But 
what the end is, knoweth no man to 
declare. But let him who would know 
it, follow my counsel and take the right 
path thereunto, which is the humble life 
of Jesus Christ; [let him strive after 
that with unwearied perseverance, and so, 
without doubt, he shall come to that end 
which endureth for ever. ‘‘ For he that - 
endureth to the end shall be saved ”].? 


1 Matt. x. 22: 


Theologia Germanica 79 


CHAPTER XXIV 


How that four Things are needful before a Man can 
receive divine Truth and be possessed with the 
Spirit of God. 


OREOVER there are yet other 
ways to the lovely life of Christ, 


besides those we have spoken 


of: to wit, that God and man should _ 


be wholly united, so that it can be said 
of a truth, that God and man are one. 
This cometh to pass on this wise. 
Where the Truth always reigneth, so 
that true perfect God and true perfect 


1 The heading of this Chapter appears to have no relation 
to its contents, while it perfectly suits the latter half of Chapter 
xxii. (p. 74), which has nothing corresponding to it in the 
heading of that chapter. As however the heading of Chapter 
xxiy. is common both to the Wurtzburg MS. and Luther’s 
editions, the translator has no option but to retain it in its 
present position, 


80 Theologia Germanica 


man are at one, and man so giveth place 
to God, that God Himself is there and 
yet the man too, and this same unity 
worketh continually, and doeth and 
leaveth undone without any I, and Me, 
and Mine, and the like; behold, there 
is Christ, and nowhere else. Now, 
seeing that here there is true perfect 
manhood, so there is a perfect perceiving 
and feeling of pleasure and pain, liking 
and disliking, sweetness and bitterness, 
joy and sorrow, and all that can be 
perceived and felt within and without. 
And seeing that God is here made man, 
He is also able to perceive and feel love 
and hatred, evil and good and the like. 
Asa man who is not God, feeleth and 
taketh note of all that giveth him 
pleasure and pain, and it pierceth him 
to the heart, especially what offendeth 
him; so is it also when God and man 


Theologia Germanica 81 


are one, and yet God is the man; there 
everything is perceived and felt that is 
contrary to God and man. And since 
there man becometh nought, and God 
alone is everything, so is it with that 
which is contrary to man, and a sorrow 
to him. And this must hold true of 
God so long as a bodily and substantial 
life endureth. 

Furthermore, mark ye, that the one 
Being in whom God and man are united, 
standeth free of himself and of all things, 
and whatever is in him is there for God’s 
sake and not for man’s, or the creature’s. 
For it is ‘the property of God to be 
without this and that, and without Self 
and Me, and without equal or fellow ; 
but it is the nature and property of the 
creature to seek itself and its own things, 
and this and that, here and there; and 
in all that it doeth and leaveth undone 

G 


82 Theologia Germanica 


its desire is to its own advantage and 
profit. Now where a creature or a man ~ 
forsaketh and cometh out of himself and 
his own things, there God entereth in 
with His own, that is, with Himself. 


CHAPTER 


Of two evil Fruits that do spring up from the Seed 
of the Evil Spirit, and are two Sisters who love 
to dwell together. The one is called spiritual 
Pride and Highmindedness, the other is false, 
lawless Freedom. 


THIOW, after that a man hath 
S| walked in all the ways that 
lead him unto the truth, and 
exercised himself therein, not sparing his 


labour ; now, as often and as long as- 
he dreameth that his work is altogether 
finished, and he is by this time quite 


Theologia Germanica 83 


dead to the world, and come out from 
Self and given up to God alone, behold ! 
the Devil cometh and soweth his seed 
in the man’s heart. From this seed 
spring two fruits; the one is spiritual 
fulness or pride, the other is false, law- 
less freedom. These are two sisters who 
love to be together. Now, it beginneth 
on this wise: the Devil puffeth up the 
man, till he thinketh himself to have 
climbed the topmost pinnacle, and to 
have come so near to heaven, that he no 
longer needeth Scripture, nor teaching, 
nor this nor that, but is altogether raised 
above any need. Whereupon there 
ariseth a false peace and satisfaction with 
himself, and then it followeth that he 
saith or thinketh: ‘‘ Yea, now I am 
above all other men, and know and 
understand more than any one in the 
world; therefore it is certainly just and 


84. Theologia Germanica 


reasonable that I should be the lord and 
commander of all creatures, and that all 
creatures, and especially all men, should 
serve me and be subject unto me.” 
And then he seeketh and desireth the 
same, and taketh it gladly from all 
creatures, especially men, and thinketh 
himself well worthy of all this, and that 
it is his due, and looketh on men as if 
they were the beasts of the field, and 
thinketh himself worthy of all that 
ministereth to his body and life and 
nature, in profit, or joy, or pleasure, or 
even pastime and amusement, and he 
seeketh and taketh it wherever he 
findeth opportunity. And whatever is 
done or can be done for him, seemeth 
him all too little and too poor, for he 
thinketh himself worthy of still more 
and greater honour than can be rendered 
to him. And of all the men who serve 


Theologia Germanica 85 


him and are subject to him, even if they 
be downright thieves and murderers, he 
saith nevertheless, that they have faith- 
ful, noble hearts, and have great love 
and faithfulness to the truth and to 
poor men. And such men are praised 
by him, and he seeketh them and 
followeth after them wherever they be. 
But he who doth not order himself 
according to the will of these high- 
minded men, nor is subject unto them, 
is not sought after by them, nay, more 
likely blamed and spoken ill of, even 
though he were as holy as St. Peter 
himself. And seeing that this proud 
and puffed-up spirit thinketh that she 
needeth neither Scripture, nor instruction, 
nor anything of the kind, therefore she 
giveth no heed to the admonitions, 
order, laws and precepts of the holy 
Christian Church, nor to the Sacraments, 


86 Theologia Rin 


but mocketh at them and at all men 
who walk according to these ordinances 
and hold them in reverence. Hereby 
we may plainly see that those two sisters 
dwell together. 

Moreover since this sheer pride - 
thinketh to know and understand more 
than all men besides, therefore she chooseth 
to prate more than all other men, and 
would fain have her opinions and speeches 
to be alone regarded and listened to, and 
counteth all that others think and say to 
be wrong, and holdeth it in derision as a 
folly. 


KOSS? 


Theologia Germanica 87 


CHAPTER XXVI 


Touching Poorness of Spirit and true Humility and 
whereby we may discern the true and lawful free 
Men whom the Truth hath made free. 


B|UT it is quite otherwise where 
¢| there is poorness of spirit, and 


Zl true humility ; and it is so 
because it is found and known of a 
truth that a man, of himself and his 
own power, is nothing, hath nothing, 
can do and is capable of nothing but 
only infirmity and evil. Hence followeth 
that the man findeth himself altogether 
unworthy of all that hath been or ever 
will be done for him, by God or the 
creatures, and that he is a debtor to 
God and also to all the creatures in 
God’s stead, both to bear with, and to 


88 Theologia Germanica 


labour for, and to serve them. And ~— 
therefore he doth not in any wise stand 
up for his own rights, but from the 
humility of his heart~he saith, “It is 
just and reasonable that God and all 
creatures should be against me, and have 
a right over me, and to me, and that I 
should not be against any one, nor have 
aright to anything.” Hence it followeth 
that the man doth not and will not crave 
or beg for anything, either from God or 
the creatures, beyond mere needful things, 
and for those only with shamefacedness, 
as a favour and not asaright. And he 
will not minister unto or gratify his body 
or any of his natural desires, beyond what 
is needful, nor allow that any should help 
or serve him except in case of necessity, 
and then always in trembling ; for he 
hath no right to anything and therefore 
he thinketh himself unworthy of any- 


Theologia Germanica 89 


thing. So likewise all his own discourse, 
ways, words and works seem to this man 
a thing of nought anda folly. Therefore 
he speaketh little, and doth not take upon 
himself to admonish or rebuke any, unless 
he be constrained thereto by love or faith- 
fulness) towards God, and even then he 
doth it in fear, and so little as may be. 
Moreover, when a man hath this poor 
and humble spirit, he cometh to see and 
understand aright, how that all men are 
bent upon themselves, and inclined to 
evil and sin, and that on this account it 
is needful and profitable that there be 
order, customs, law and precepts, to the 
end that the blindness and foolishness of 
men may be corrected, and that vice and 
wickedness may be kept under, and con- 
strained to seemliness. For without 
ordinances, men would be much more 
-mischievous and ungovernable than dogs 


go Theologia Germanica 


and cattle. And few have come to the 
knowledge of the truth but what have 
begun with holy practices and ordinances, 
and exercised themselves therein so long 
as they knew nothing more nor better. 
Therefore one who is poor in spirit 
and of a humble mind doth not despise 
or make light of law, order, precepts and 
holy customs, nor yet of those who 
observe and cleave wholly to them, but 
with loving pity and gentle sorrow, 
crieth: “Almighty Father, Thou Eternal 
Truth, I make my lament unto Thee, 
and it grieveth Thy Spirit too, that 
through man’s blindness, infirmity, and 
sin, that is made needful and must be, 
which in deed and truth were neither 
needful nor right.” [For those who are 
perfect are under no law. . 
So order, laws, precepts and the like 


\ 


are merely an admonition to men who ~ 


Theologia Germanica g1 


understand nothing better and know and 
perceive not wherefore all law and order 
is ordained.] And the perfect accept 
the law along with such ignorant men 
as understand and know nothing better, 
and practise it with them, to the intent 
that they may be restrained thereby, and 
kept from evil ways, or if it be possible, 
brought to something higher. 

Behold! all that we have said of poverty 
and humility is so of a truth, and we have 
the proof and witness thereof in the pure 
life of Christ, and in His words. For 
He both practised and fulfilled every 
work of true humility and all other 
virtues, as shineth forth in His holy 
life, and He saith also expressly : ‘‘ Learn 
of Me; for I am meek and lowly of 
heart: and ye shall find rest unto your 
souls.” Moreover He did not despise 


1 Matt. xi. 29. 


92 Theologia Germanica 


and set at nought the law and the com- 
mandments, nor yet the men who are 
under the law. [He saith: “I am not 
come to destroy the law or the prophets, 
but to fulfil.”] But He saith further, 
that to keep them is not enough, we 
must press forward to what is higher 
and better, as is indeed true. [He 
saith : ‘‘ Except your righteousness shall 
exceed the righteousness of the Scribes 
and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter 
into the kingdom of Heaven.”? For 
the law forbiddeth evil works, but Christ 
condemneth also evil thoughts ; the law 
alloweth us to take vengeance on our 
enemies, but Christ commandeth us to 
love them. The law forbiddeth not 
the good things of this world, but He 
counselleth us to despise them. And 
He hath set His seal upon all He said, 


1 Matt. v. 20. 


Theologia Germanica 93 


with His own holy life; for He taught 
nothing that He did not fulfil in work, 
and He kept the law and was subject 
unto it to the end of His mortal life.] 
Likewise St. Paul saith: ‘Christ was 
made under the law, to redeem them 
that were under the law.”' That is, 
that He might bring them to something 
higher and nearer to Himself. He said 
again, “The Son of man came not to be 
ministered unto, but to minister.” ? 

In a word : in Christ’s life and words 
and works, we find nothing but true, 
pure humility and poverty such as we 


have set forth. And therefore where ~ 


God dwelleth in a man, and the man 
is a true follower of Christ, it will 
be, and must be, and ought to be the 
same. But where there is pride, and a 
haughty spirit, and a light careless mind, 


1 Galat. iv. 4. 2 Matt. xx. 28. 


94. Theologia Germanica 


Christ is not, nor any true follower of 
His. 

Christ said: “My soul is troubled, 
even unto death.” He meaneth His 
bodily death. [That is to \say: from - 
the time that He was born of Mary, 
until His death on the cross, He had 
not one joyful day, but only trouble, 
sorrow and contradiction.] Therefore 
it is just and reasonable that His ser- 
vants should be even as their Master. 
Christ saith also: ‘Blessed are the poor 
in spirit” (that is, those who are truly 
humble), ‘for theirs is the kingdom of 
Heaven.” And thus we find it of a 
truth, where God is made man. For in 
Christ and in all His true followers, 
there must needs be thorough humility 
and poorness of spirit, a lowly retiring 
disposition, and a heart laden with a 
secret sorrow and mourning, so long as 


Theologia Germanica 95 


this mortal life lasteth. And he who 
dreameth otherwise is deceived, and 
deceiveth others with him as aforesaid. 
Therefore nature and Self always avoid 
this life, and cling to a life of false 
freedom and ease, as we have said. 
Behold! now cometh an Adam or an 
Evil Spirit, wishing to justify himself 
and make excuse, and saith: ‘ Thou 
wilt almost have it that Christ was bereft 
of self and the like, yet He spake often 
of Himself, and glorified Himself in this 
and that.” Answer: when a man in 
whom the truth worketh, hath and ought 
to have a will towards anything, his will 
and endeavour and works are for no end, 
but that the truth may be seen and 
manifested ; and this will was in Christ, 
and to this end, words and works were 
needful. And what Christ did because 
it was the most profitable and best means 


96 Theologia Germanica 


thereunto, He no more took unto Him- 
self than anything else that happened. 
Dost thou say now: ‘‘ Then there was 
a Wherefore in Christ”? I answer, if 
thou wert to ask the sun, ‘“‘ Why shinest 
thou?” he would say: ‘I must shine, 
and cannot do otherwise; for it is my 
nature and property; but this my 
property, and the light I give, is not 
of myself, and I do not call it mine.” 
So likewise is it with God and Christ 
and all who are godly and belong unto 
God. In them is no willing, nor work- 
ing nor desiring but has for its end, 
goodness as goodness, for the sake of 
goodness, and they have no other Where- 
fore than this. 


Theologia Germanica 97 


CHAPTER XXVII 


How we are to take Christs Words when He bade 
us forsake all Things; and wherein the Union 
with the Divine Will standeth. 


“at Nie OW, according to what hath 
been said, ye must observe that 


when we say, as Christ also 
saith, that we ought to resign and for- 
sake all things, this is not to be taken in 
the sense that a man is neither to do nor 
to purpose anything ; for a man must 
always have something to do and to 
order so long as he liveth. But we 
are to understand by it that the union 
with God standeth not in any man’s 
powers, in his working or abstaining, 
perceiving or knowing, nor in that of 
all the creatures taken together. 

H 


98 Theologia Germania 


Now what is this union? It is that 
we should be of a truth purely, simply, 
and wholly at one with the One Eternal 
Will of God, or altogether without will, 
so that the created will should flow out 
into the Eternal Will, and be swallowed 
up and lost therein, so that the Eternal 
Will alone should do and leave undone 
in us. Now mark what may help or 
further us towards this end. Behold, 
neither exercises, nor words, nor works, 
nor any creature nor creature’s work can 
do this. In this wise therefore must we 
renounce and forsake all things, that we 
must not imagine or suppose that any 
words, works, or exercises, any skill or 
cunning or any created thing can help 
or serve us thereto. Therefore we must 
suffer these things to be what they are, 
and enter into the union with God. 
Yet outward things must be, and we 


Theologia Germanica 99 


must do and refrain so far as is necessary, 
especially we must sleep and wake, walk 
and stand still, speak and be silent and 
much more of the like. These must go 
on so long as we live. 


CHAPTER XXVIII 


How, after a Union with the Divine Will, the in- 
ward Man standeth immoveable, the while the 
outward Man is moved hither and thither. 


cometh to pass and becometh 
J established, the inward man 
standeth henceforward immoveable in 
this union; and God suffereth the out- 
ward man to be moved hither and thither, 
from this to that, of such things as are 
necessary and right. So that the out- 
ward man saith in sincerity ‘I have no 


yoIOW, when this union truly — 


100 Theologia Germanica 


will to be or not to be, to live or die, to 
know or not to know, to do or to leave 
undone and the like; but I am ready 
for all that is to be, or ought to be, and 
obedient thereunto, whether I have to 
do or to suffer.” And thus the outward - 
man hath no Wherefore or purpose, but 
only to do his part to further the Eternal 
Will. For it is perceived of a truth, 
that the inward man shall stand immove- 
able, and that it is needful for the out- 
ward man to be moved. And if the 
inward man have any Wherefore in the 
actions of the outward man, he saith 
only that such things must be and ought 
to be, as are ordained by the Eternal 
Will. And where God Himself dwelleth 
in the man, it is thus; as we plainly see 
in Christ. Moreover, where there is 
this union, which is the offspring of a 
Divine light and dwelleth in its beams, 


Theologia Germanica 101 


there is no spiritual pride or irreverent 
spirit, but boundless humility, and a 
lowly broken heart; also an honest 
blameless walk, justice, peace, content, 
and all that is of virtue must needs be 
there. Where they are not, there is 
no right union, as we have said. For 
just as neither this thing nor that can 
bring about or further this union, so 
there is nothing which hath power to 
frustrate or hinder it, save the man 
himself with his self-will, that doeth 
him this great wrong. Of this be well 
assured, 


102 Theologia Germanica 


CHAPTER: 


How a Man may not attain so high before Death 
as not to be moved or touched by outward Things. 


7ZIHERE be some who affirm, 
that a man, while in this 


present time, may and ought 
to be above being touched by outward 
things, and in all respects as Christ was 
after His resurrection. This they try 
to prove and establish by Christ’s words : 
“TI go before you into Galilee there ; 
shall ye see Me.”* And again, “A 
spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye 
see Me have.” ? 
interpret thus: “As ye have seen Me, 
and been followers of Me, in My mortal 


These sayings they 


1 Matt. xxvi. 32, and xxviii. 7-10. 
2 Luke xxiv. 39. 


Theologia Germanica 103 


body and life, so also it behoveth you 
to see Me and follow Me, as I go 
before you into Galilee; that is to say, 
into a state in which nothing hath power 
to move or grieve the soul; on which 
state ye shall enter, and live and continue 
therein, before that ye have suffered and 
gone through your bodily death. And 
as ye see Me having flesh and bones, 
and not liable to suffer, so shall ye 
likewise, while yet in the body and 
having your mortal nature, cease to feel 
outward things, were it even the death 


of the body.” 


Now, I answer, in the first place, to — 


this affirmation, that Christ did not 
mean that a man should or could attain 
unto this state, unless he have first gone 
through and suffered all that Christ did. 
Now, Christ did not attain thereunto, 
before He had passed through and suffered 


104 Theologia Germanica 


His natural death, and what things 
appertain thereto. Therefore no man — 
can or ought to come to it so long as he 
is mortal and liable to suffer. For if 
such a state were the noblest and best, 
and if it were possible and right to attain 
to it, as aforesaid, in this present time, 
then it would have been attained by 
Christ ; for the life of Christ is the best 
and noblest, the worthiest and loveliest 
in God’s sight that ever was or will be. 
Therefore if it was not and could not be 
so with Christ, it will never be so with 
any man. Therefore though some may 
imagine and say that such a life is the 
best and nobiest life, yet it is not so. 


Theologia Germanica 105 


CHAPTER XXX 


On what wise we may come to be beyond and above 
all Custom, Order, Law, Precepts and the like. 


OME say further, that we can 
and ought to get beyond all 


virtue, all custom and order, all 
law, precepts and seemliness, so that all 
these should be laid aside, thrown off and 
set at nought. Herein there is some 
truth, and some falsehood. Behold and 
mark: Christ was greater than His own 
life, and above all virtue, custom, ordi- 
nances and the like, and so also is the Evil 
Spirit above them, but with a difference. 
For Christ was and is above them on this 
wise, that His words, and works, and ways, 
His doings and refrainings, His speech 
and silence, His sufferings, and whatso- 


106 Theologia Germanica 


ever happened to Him, were not forced 
upon Him, neither did He need them, 
neither were they of any profit to Himself. 
It was and is the same with all manner of 
virtue, order, laws, decency, and the like ; 
for all that may be reached by them is 
already in Christ to perfection. In this 
sense, that saying of St. Paul is true and 


receiveth its fulfilment, “ As many as are. 


led by the Spirit of God, they are the 
sons of God,” “and are not under the 


law, but under grace.” * That meaneth, - 


man need not teach them what they are 
to do or abstain from; for their Master, 
that is, the Spirit of God, shall verily 
teach them what is needful for them to 
know. Likewise they do not need that 
men should give them precepts, or com- 
mand them to do right and not to do 
wrong, and the like; for the same 


1 Rom. viii. 14, and vi. 14. 


y 


Theologia Germanica 107 


admirable Master who teacheth them 
what is good or not good, what is higher 
and lower, and in short leadeth them into 
all truth, He reigneth also within them, 
and biddeth them to hold fast that which 
is good, and to let the rest go, and to 
Him they give ear. Behold! in this sense 
they need not to wait upon any law, 
either to teach or to command them. In 
another sense also they need no law; 
namely, in order to seek or win some- 
thing thereby or get any advantage for 
themselves. For whatever help toward 
eternal life, or furtherance in the way 
everlasting, they might obtain from the 
aid, or counsel, or words, or works of 
any creature, they possess already before- 
hand. Behold! in this sense also it is 
true, that we may rise above all law and 
virtue, and also above the works and 
Knowledge and powers of any creature. 


108 Theologia Germanica 


CHAPTER XXxXI 


How we are not to cast off the Life of Christ, but 
practise it diligently, and walk in it until Death. 


aS y UT that other thing which they 
affirm, how that we ought to 
throw off and cast aside the life 


7 BY, 
me 


of Christ, and all laws and command- 


ments, customs and order and the like, 
and pay no heed to them, but despise 
and make light of them, is altogether 
false anda lie. Now some may say ;— 
“‘Since neither Christ nor others can 
ever gain anything, either by a Christian 
life, or by all these exercises and ordi- 
nances, and the like, nor turn them to 
any account, seeing that they possess 
already all that can be had through them, 
what cause is there why they should not 


Theologia Germanica 109 


henceforth eschew them altogether? 
Must they still retain and practise them?” 

Behold, ye must look narrowly into 
this matter. There are two kinds of 
Light ; the one is true and the other 1s 
false. The true light is that Eternal 
Light which is God; or else it is a 
created light, but yet divine, which is 
called grace. And these are both the true 
Light. So is the false light Nature or of 
Nature. But why is the first true, and 
the second false? This we can better 
perceive than say or write. To God, as 
Godhead, appertain neither will, nor 
knowledge, nor manifestation, nor any- 
thing that we can name, or say, or 
conceive. But to God as God,} it 
belongeth to express Himself, and know 
and love Himself, and to reveal Himself 


1 That is, as a Person—‘ God” being used here as a proper 
name.—TRr. 


IIO Theologia Germanica 


to Himself; and all this without any 
creature. And all this resteth in God 
as a substance but not as a working, so 
long as there is no creature. And out 
of this expressing and revealing of Him- 
self unto Himself, ariseth the distinction 
of Persons. But when God as God is 
made man, or where God dwelleth ina 
godly man, or one who is “made a 
partaker of the divine nature,” in such 
a man somewhat appertaineth unto God 
which is His own, and belongeth to Him 
only and not to the creature. And 
without the creature, this would lie in 
His own Self as a Substance or well- 
spring, but would not be manifested or 
wrought out into deeds. Now God will 
have it to be exercised and clothed in a 
form, for it is there only to be wrought 
out and executed. What else is it for? 
Shall it lie idle? What then would it 


Theologia Germantica 111 


profit? As good were it that it had 
never been; nay better, for what is of 
no use existeth in vain, and that is 
abhorred by God and Nature. However 
God will have it wrought out, and this 
cannot come to pass (which it ought 
to do) without the creature. Nay, if 
there ought not to be, and were not this 
and that—works, and a world full of 
real things, and the like,—what were 
God Himself, and what had He to do, 
and whose God would He be? Here we 
must turn and stop, or we might follow 
this matter and grope along until we 
knew not where we were, nor how we 
should find our way out again. 


“CVS” 


12 Theologia Germanica 


CHAPTER Soa 


How God is a true, simple, perfect Good, and how 
He is a Light and a Reason and all Virtues, and 
how what is highest and best, that Hy Cod, ought to 
be most loved by us. 


“ 
A) Jif 


ie G|N short, I would have you to 

understand, that God (in so far | 
= as He is good) is goodness as 
goodness, and not this or that good. 


But here mark one thing. Behold! 
‘ what is sometimes here and sometimes 


there is not everywhere, and above all 
things and places ; so also, what is to-day, 
or to-morrow, is not always, at all times, 
and above all time; and what is some 
thing, this or that, is not all things and 
above all things. Now behold, if God 
were some thing, this or that, He would 


Theologia Germanica 113 


not be all in all, and above all, as He is; 
and so also, He would not be true 
Perfection. Therefore God is, and yet 
He is neither this nor that which the 
creature, as creature, can perceive, name, 
conceive or express. ‘Therefore if God 
(in so far as He is good) were this or 
that good, He would not be all good, 
and therefore He would not be the One 
Perfect Good, which He is. Now God 
is also a Light and a Reason,’ the 
property of which is to give light and 
shine, and take knowledge ; and inasmuch 
as God is Light and Reason, He must 
give light and perceive. And all this 
giving and perceiving of light existeth 
in God without the creature; not as a 
work fulfilled, but as a substance or well- 


1 Cognition is the word which comes nearest to the original 
Erkenntniss, but would not harmonise with the style of the 
translation, 


I 


114 Theologia Germanica 


spring. But for it to flow out into a - 
work, something really done and accom- 
plished,’ there must be creatures through 
whom this can come to pass. Look ye: 
where this Reason and Light is at work 
in a creature, it perceiveth and knoweth 
and teacheth what itself is; how that it 
is good in itself and neither this thing 
nor that thing. This Light and Reason 
knoweth and teacheth men, that it is 
a true, simple, perfect Good, which is 
neither this nor that special good, but 
comprehendeth every kind of good. 

Now, having declared that this Light 
teacheth the One Good, what doth it 
teach concerning it? Give heed to this. 
Behold! even as God is the one Good — 
and Light and Reason, so is He alse 
Will and Love and Justice and Truth, 
and in short all virtues. But all these . 


1 Or, be realised. 


Theologia Germanica IIS 


are in God one Substance, and none of 
them can be put in exercise and wrought 
out into deeds without the creature, for in 
God, without the creature, they are only 
as a Substance or well-spring, not as a 
work. But where the One, who is yet 
all these, layeth hold of a creature, and 
taketh possession of it, and directeth and 
maketh use of it, so that He may 
perceive in it somewhat of His own, 
behold, in so far as He is Will and Love, 
He is taught of Himself, seeing that He 
is also Light and Reason, and He wiilleth 
nothing but that One thing which He is. 

Behold! in such a creature, there is 
no longer anything willed or loved but 
that which is good, because it is good, 
and for no other reason than that it is 
good, not because it is this or that, or 
pleaseth or displeaseth such a one, is plea- 
sant or painful, bitter or sweet, or what 


116 Theologia Germanica 


not. All this is not asked about nor 
looked at. And such a creature doth 
nothing for its own sake, or in its own 
name, for it hath quitted all Self, and 
Me, and Mine, and We and Ours, and 
the like, and these are departed. It no 
longer saith, ‘I love myself, or this or 
that, or what not.” And if you were 
to ask Love, ‘“‘ What lovest thou?” she 
would answer, “I love Goodness.” 
‘““Wherefore?” ‘Because it is good, 
and for the sake of Goodness.” So it is 
good and just and right to deem that if 
there were ought better than God, that 
must be loved better than God. And 
thus God loveth not Himself as Himself, 
but as Goodness. And if there were, and 
He knew, ought better than God, He 
would love that and not Himself. Thus 
the Self and the Me are wholly sundered 
from God, and belong to Him only in 


Theologia Germanica 117 


so far as they are necessary for Him to 
be a Person. 

Behold! all that we have said must 
indeed come to pass in a Godlike man, 
or one who is truly ‘‘ made a partaker of 
the divine nature”; for else. he would 
not be truly such. 


CHAPTER XXXIII 


How when a Man is made truly Godlike, his Love is 
pure and unmixed, and he loveth all Creatures, 
and doth his best for them. 


ENCE it followeth, that in a 
truly Godlike man, his love is 


pure and unmixed, and full of 
kindness, insomuch that he cannot but 
love in sincerity all men and things, and 
wish well, and do good to them, and 
rejoice in their welfare. Yea, let them 


118 Theologia Germanica 


do what they will to such a man, do him 
wrong or kindness, bear him love or 
hatred or the like, yea, if one could kill 
such a mana hundred times over, and 
he always came to life again, he could 
not but lave the very man who had so 
often slain him, although he had been 
treated so unjustly, and wickedly, and 
cruelly by him, and could not but wish 
well, and do well to him, and show him 
the very greatest kindness in his power, 
if the other would but only receive and 
take it at his hands. The proof and 
witness whereof may be seen in Christ ; 
for He said to Judas, when he betrayed 
Him: ‘“‘Friend,wherefore art thoucome?” 
Just as if He had said: “Thou hatest 
Me, and art Mine enemy, yet I love thee 
and am thy friend. Thou desirest and 
rejoicest in My affliction, and dost the 
worst thou canst unto Me; yet I desire 


Theologia Germanica 119 


and wish thee all good, and would fain 
give it thee, and do it for thee, if thou 
wouldst but take and receive it.” As 
though God in human nature were 
saying : “I am pure, simple Goodness, 
and therefore I cannot will, or desire, or 
rejoice in, or do or give anything but 
goodness. If I am to reward thee for 
thy evil and wickedness, I must do it 
with goodness, for I am and have nothing 
else.” Hence therefore God, in a man 
who is “ made partaker of His nature,” . 
desireth and taketh no revenge for all 
the wrong that is or can be done unto 
Him. This we see in Christ, when He 
said: “Father, forgive them, for they 
know not what they do.” 

Likewise it is God’s property that He 
doth not constrain any by force to do or 
not to do anything, but He alloweth 
every man to do and leave undone 


120 Theologia Germanica 


according to his will, whether it be good 
or bad, and resisteth none. This too 
we see in Christ, who would not resist 
or defend Himself when His enemies laid 
hands on Him. And when Peter would 
have defended Him, He said unto Peter : 
‘Put up thy sword into the sheath : 
the cup which My Father hath given Me, 
shall I not drink it?” Neither may a 
man who is made a partaker of the 
divine nature, oppress or grieve any one. 
That is, it never entereth into his 
thoughts, or intents, or wishes, to cause 
pain or distress to any, either by deed 
or neglect, by speech or silence. 


Theologia Germanica 121 


CHAPTER XXXIV 


How that if a Man will attain to that which is best, 
he must forswear his own Will; and he who 
helpeth a Man to his own Will helpeth him to the 
worst Thing he can. 


JIOME may say: “ Now since 
‘| God willeth and desireth and 
doeth the best that may be to 
every one, He ought so to help each 


man and order things for him, that they 
should fall out according to his will and 
fulfil his desires, so that one might be a 
Pope, another a Bishop, and so forth.” 
Be assured, he who helpeth a man to his - 
own will, helpeth him to the worst that 
he can. For the more a man followeth 
after his own self-will, and self-will 
groweth in him, the farther off is he 


122 Theologia Germanica 


from God, the true Good [for nothing 
burneth in hell but self-will. Therefore 
it hath been said, “ Put off thine own 
will, and there will be no hell”]. Now 
God is very willing to help a man and 
bring him to that which is best in itself, 
and is of all things the best for man. 
But to this end, all self-will must depart, 
as we have said. And God would fain - 
give man His help and counsel thereunto, 
for so long as a man is seeking his own 
good, he doth not seek what is best for 
him, and will never find it. For a man’s // 
~ highest good would be and truly is, that 
he should not seek himself nor his own 
things, nor be his own end in any respect, 
either in things spiritual or things 
natural, but should seek only the praise 
and glory of God and His holy will. 
This doth God teach and admonish us. 
~ Let him therefore who wisheth that — 


Theologia Germanica 123 


God should help him to what is best, and 
best for him, give diligent heed to God’s 
counsels and teachings, and obey His 
commandments; thus, and not else, will 
he have, and hath already, God’s help. 
Now God teacheth and admonisheth 
man to forsake himself and all things, 
and to follow Him only. ‘‘ For he who 
loveth his soul,’! that is himself, and 
will guard it and keep it, “he shall lose 
it”; that is, he who seeketh himself and 
his own advantage in all things, in so 
doing loseth his soul. ‘But he who 
hateth his soul for My sake shall keep it 

1 Mark viii. 35. Our authorised version uses the word 
“life” in this verse, but as that would not quite bring out 
the force of the original, I have ventured to use the same word 
for Yuxh here, by which it is translated in the two succeeding 
verses, 

Except in this and another passage, where, in quoting John 
iii, 8, rvedua is translated, as in Luther’s version, Spirit in- 


stead of Wind, our authorised version has been always adhered 
to.—Tr. 


124 Theologia Germanica 


unto life eternal” ; that is, he who for- 
saketh himself and his own things, and 
giveth up his own will, and fulfilleth 
God’s will, his soul will be kept and 
preserved unto Life Eternal. 


CHAPTER XXXV 


How there is deep and true Humility and Poorness 
of Spirit in a Man who is ‘‘ made a Partaker of 
the Divine Nature.” 


IN OREOVER, in a man who is 
| “made a partaker of the divine 

“=J nature,” there is a thorough 
and deep humility, and where this is not, 
the man hath not been “ made a partaker 
of the divine nature.” So Christ taught 
in words and fulfilled in works. And 
this humility springeth up in the man, 


— 


Theologia Germanica 125 


because in the true Light he seeth (as 
it also really is) that Substance, Life, 
Perceiving, Knowledge, Power, and what 
is thereof, do all belong to the True 
Good, and not to the creature ; but that 
the creature of itse!f is nothing and hath 
nothing, and that when it turneth itself 
aside from the True Good in will or in 
works, nothing is left to it but pure evil. 
And therefore it is true to the very letter, 
that the creature, as creature, hath no 
worthiness in itself, and no right to any- 
thing, and no claim over any one, either 
over God or over the creature, and that 
it ought to give itself up to God and 
submit to Him because this is just. 
And this is the chiefest and most weighty 
matter. 

Now, if we ought to be, and desire to 
be, obedient and submit unto God, we 
must also submit to what we receive at 


126 Theologia Germanica 


the hands of any of His creatures, or our 
submission is all false. From this latter 
article floweth true humility, as indeed 
it doth also from the former.’ -And 
unless this verily ought to be, and were 
wholly agreeable to God’s justice, Christ 
would not have taught it in words, and 
fulfilled it in His life. And herein there 
is a veritable manifestation of God ; and 
it is so of a truth, that of God’s truth 
and justice this creature shall be subject 
to God and all creatures, and no thing 
or person shall be subject or obedient to 
her. God and all the creatures have a 
right over her and to her, but she hath 
a right to nothing: she is a debtor to 
all, and nothing is owing to her, so that 
she shall be ready to bear all things from 
others, and also if needs be to do all 
things for others. And out of this 


1 Namely, God’s having a right to our obedience. 


Theologia Germanica 127 


groweth that poorness of spirit of which 
Christ said: ‘Blessed are the poor in 
spirit ” (that is to say, the truly humble), 
“for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” 
All this hath Christ taught in words and 
fulfilled with His life. 


4 


CHAPTER XXXVI 


How nothing is contrary to God but Sin only ; 
and what Sin is in Kina and Act. 


DER SURTHER ye shall mark: 
ite when it is said that such a 
- thing or such a deed is con- 
trary to God, or that such a thing is 
hateful to God and grieveth His Spirit, 
ye must know that no creature is con- 
trary to God, or hateful or grievous unto 
Him, in so far as it is, liveth, knoweth, 


hath power to do, or produce ought, and 


| 
} 


128 Theologia Germanica 


so forth, for all this is not contrary to 
God. That an evil spirit, or a man is, 
liveth, and the like, is altogether good 
and of God ; for God is the Being of all 
that are, and the Life of all that live, 
and the Wisdom of all the wise ; for all 
things have their being more truly in 
God than in themselves, and also all 
their powers, knowledge, life, and the 
rest ; for if it were not so, God would 
not be all good. And thus all creatures 
are good. Now what is good is agree- 
able to God, and He will have it. 
Therefore it cannot be contrary to Him. 

But what then is there which is 


_ contrary to God and hateful to Him? 


Nothing but Sin. But what is Sin? 
Mark this: Sin is nothing else than that 
the creature willeth otherwise than God 
willeth, and contrary to Him. Each of — 
us may see this in himself ; for he who 


Theologia Germanica 129 


willeth otherwise than I, or whose will 
is contrary to mine, is my foe ; but he 
who willeth the same as I, is my friend, 
and I love him. It is even so with God : - 
and that is sin, and is contrary to God, 
and hateful and grievous to Him. And 
he who willeth, speaketh, or is silent, 
doeth or leaveth undone, otherwise than 
as I will, is contrary to me, and an 
offence unto me. So itis also with God : 
when a man willeth otherwise than God, 
or contrary to God, whatever he doeth 
or leaveth undone, in short all that 
proceedeth from him, is contrary to God 
and issin. And whatsoever Will willeth 
otherwise than God, is against God’s will. 
As Christ said : ‘‘ He who is not with Me — 
is against me.” Hereby may each man 
see plainly whether or not he be without 
sin, and whether or not he be committing 


sin, and what sin is, and how sin ought 
K 


130 Theologia Germanica 


to be atoned for, and wherewith it may 
be healed. And this contradiction to 
God’s will is what we call, and is, dis- 
obedience. And therefore Adam, the I, - 
the Self, Self-will, Sin, or the Old Man, 
the turning aside or departing from God, 
do all mean one and the same thing. 


CHAPTER XXXVII 


How in God, as God, there can neither be Grief, 
Sorrow, Displeasure, nor the like, but how it is 
otherwise ina Man who is “ made a Partaker of 
the Divine Nature.” 


lap N God, as God, neither sorrow 
Nel |p) nor grief nor displeasure can 
CUED have place, and yet God is 
grieved on account of men’s sins. Now 
since grief cannot befall God without the 


creature, this cometh to pass where He is 


Theologia Germanica 131 


made man, or when He dwelleth in a 
Godlike man. And there, behold, sin is 
so hateful to God, and grieveth Him so 
sore, that He would willingly suffer 
agony and death, if one man’s sins 
might be thereby washed out. And if 
He were asked whether He would rather - 
live and that sin should remain, or die 
and destroy sin by His death, He would 
answer that He would a thousand times 
rather die. For to God one man’s sin 
is more hateful, and grieveth Him worse 
than His own agony and death. Now — 
if one man’s sin grieveth God so sore, 
what must the sins of all men do? 
Hereby ye may consider, how greatly 
man grieveth God with his sins. 

And therefore where God is made 
man, or when He dwelleth in a truly 
Godlike man, nothing is complained of 
but sin, and nothing else is hateful ; for 


REZ Theologia Germanica 


all that is, and is done, without sin, is as 
God will have it, and is His. But the 
mourning and sorrow of a truly Godlike 
man on account of sin, must and ought 
to last until death, should he live till the 
Day of Judgment, or for ever. From 
this cause arose that hidden anguish of 
Christ, of which none can tell or knoweth 
ought save Himself alone, and therefore 
is it called a mystery. 

Moreover, this is an attribute of God, 
which He will have, and is well pleased 
to see in a man; and it is indeed God’s 
own, for it belongeth not unto the man, 
he cannot make sin to be so hateful to 
himself. And where God findeth this 
grief for sin, He loveth and esteemeth it 
more than ought else; because it is, of 
all things, the bitterest and saddest that 
man can endure. 

All that is here written touching this 


Theologia Germanica 133 


divine attribute, which God will have 
man to possess, that it may be brought 
into exercise in a living soul, is taught 
us by that true Light, which also teacheth 
the man in whom this Godlike sorrow 
worketh, not to take it unto himself, 
any more than if he were not there. 
For such a man feeleth in himself that 
he hath not made it to spring up in his 
heart, and that it is none of his, but 
belongeth to God alone. 


CHAPTER XXXVIII 


How we are to put on the Life of Christ from Love, 
and not for the sake of Reward, and how we must 
never grow careless concerning it, or cast it off. 


wr 


OW, wherever a man hath been 


Aye, 
Sf} made a partaker of the divine 
nature, in him is fulfilled the 


best and noblest life, and the worthiest 


134 Theologia Germanica 


in God’s eyes, that hath been or can be. - 
And of that eternal love which loveth 
Goodness as Goodness and for the sake 
of Goodness, a true, noble, Christ-like 
life is so greatly beloved, that it will 
never be forsaken or cast off. Where a 
man hath tasted this life, it is impossible 
for him ever to part with it, were he to 
live until the Judgment Day. And 
though he must die a thousand deaths, 
and though all the sufferings that ever 
befell all creatures could be heaped upon 
him, he would rather undergo them all, 
than fall away from this excellent life ; 
and if he could exchange it for an angel’s 
life, he would not. 

This is our answer to the question, 
‘If a man, by putting on Christ’s life, 
can get nothing more than he hath 
already, and serve no end, what good 
will itdohim?” This life is not chosen 


Theologia Germanica 135 


in order to serve any end, or to get any- 
thing by it, but for love of its nobleness, 
and because God loveth and esteemeth 


it so greatly. And whoever saith that _ 


he hath had enough of it, and may now 
lay it aside, hath never tasted nor known 
it; for he who hath truly felt or tasted 


it, Can never give it up again. And he - 


who hath put on the life of Christ with 
the intent to win or deserve ought there- 
by, hath taken it up as an hireling and 
not for love, and is altogether without it. 
For he who doth not take it up for love, 
hath none of it at all; he may dream 
indeed that he hath put it on, but he is 


deceived. Christ did not lead such a- 


life as His for the sake of reward, but 
out of love; and love maketh such a life 
light and taketh away all its hardships, 
so that it becometh sweet and is gladly 
endured. But to him who hath not put 


i 


136 Theologia Germanica 


it on from love, but hath done so, as he 
dreameth, for the sake of reward, it is 
utterly bitter and a weariness, and he 
would fain be quit of it. And it isa 
sure token of an hireling that he wisheth 
his work were at an end. But he who 
truly loveth it, is not offended at its toil 
nor suffering, nor the length of time it 
lasteth. Therefore it is written, “To 
serve God and live to Him, is easy to 
him who doeth it.” Truly it is so to 
him who doth it for love, but it is hard 
and wearisome to him who doth it for 
hire. It is the same with all virtue and 
good works, and likewise with order, laws, 
obedience to precepts, and the like. But 
God rejoiceth more over one man who 
truly loveth, than over a thousand 
hirelings. 


Theologia Germanica 137 


CHAPTER XXxXIxX 


How God will have Order, Custom, Measure, and 
the like in the Creature, seeing that He cannot have 
them without the Creature, and of four sorts of 
Men who are concerned with this Order, Law, 
and Custom. 


1Ry 

a 

measure, and order, and yet 
giveth to all things their custom, order, 
measure, fitness, and the like. The 
which is to be thus understood. God 
will have all these to be, and they 
cannot have a being in Himself without 


ih is said, and truly, God is 


above and without custom, 


the creature, for in God, apart from the 
creature, there is neither order nor dis- 
order, custom nor chance, and so forth; 
therefore He will have things so that 


138 Theologia Germanica 


these shall be, and shall be put in 
exercise. For wherever there is word, 
work, or change, these must be either 
according to order, custom, measure and 
fitness, or according to unfitness and 
disorder. Now fitness and order are 
better and nobler than their contraries. 
But ye must mark: There are four 
sorts of men who are concerned with 
order, laws, and customs. (\ Some keep 
them neither for God’s sake, nor to serve 
their own ends, but from constraint : 
these have as little to do with them as 
may be, and find them a burden and 
heavy yoke.\7/The second sort obey for 
the sake of reward: these are men who 
know nothing beside, or better than, 
laws and precepts, and imagine that by 
keeping them they may obtain the king- 
dom of Heaven and Eternal Life, and 
not otherwise ; and him who practiseth 


Theologia Germanica 139 


many ordinances they think to be holy, 
and him who omitteth any tittle of them 
they think to be lost. Such men are 
very much in earnest and give great dili- 
gence to the work, and yet they find it a 
weariness.\>) The third sort are wicked, - 
false-hearted men, who dream and de- 
clare that they are perfect and need no 
ordinances, and make a mock of them. 
~The fourth are those who are en- — 
lightened with the True Light, who do 
not practise these things for reward, for 
they neither look nor desire to get any- 
thing thereby, but all that they do is 
from love alone. And these are not so - 
anxious and eager to accomplish much 
and with all speed as the second sort, but 
rather seek to do things in peace and 
good leisure; and if some not weighty 
matter be neglected, they do not there- 
fore think themselves lost, for they know 


140 Theologia Germanica 


very well that order and fitness are 
better than disorder, and therefore they 
choose to walk orderly, yet know at the 
same time that their salvation hangeth 
not thereon. Therefore they are not in 
so great anxiety as the others. These 
men are judged and blamed by both the 
other parties, for the hirelings say that 
they neglect their duties and accuse them 
of being unrighteous, and the like; and 
the others (that is, the Free Spirits?) 
hold them in derision, and say that they 
cleave unto weak and beggarly elements, 
and the like. But these enlightened 
men keep the middle path, which is also 
the best ; for a lover of God is better 
and dearer to Him than a hundred 
thousand hirelings. It is the same with 
all their doings. 


1 This is evidently an allusion to the “Brethren of the 


Free Spirit,” mentioned in the Historical Introduction. 


Theologia Germanica 141 


Furthermore, ye must mark, that to 
receive God’s commands and His counsel 
and all His teaching, is the privilege of 
the inward man, after that he is united 
with God. And where there is sucha 
union, the outward man is surely taught 
and ordered by the inward man, so that 
no outward commandment or teaching 
is needed. But the commandments and 
laws of men belong to the outer man, 
and are needful for those men who know 
nothing better, for else they would not 
know what to do and what to refrain 
from, and would become like unto the 
dogs or other beasts. 


142 Theologia Germanica 


CHAPTER. 
A good Account of the False Light and its Kind. 


‘a DIOW I have said that there is a 
4) False Light; but I must tell 


: you more particularly what it 
is, and what belongeth thereunto. Be- 
hold, all that is contrary to the True 
Light belongeth unto the False. To 
the True Light it belongeth of necessity, 
that it seeketh not to deceive, nor con- 
senteth that any should be wronged or 
deceived, neither can it be deceived. 
But the false is deceived and a delusion, 
and deceiveth others along with itself. 
For God deceiveth no man, nor willeth 
that any should be deceived, and so it is 
with His True Light. Now mark, the 
True Light is God or divine, but the 


Theologia Germanica 143 


False Light is Nature or natural. Now 
it belongeth to God, that He is neither 
_ this nor that, neither willeth nor desireth, 
nor seeketh anything in the man whom 
He hath made a partaker of the divine 
nature, save Goodness as Goodness, and 
for the sake of Goodness. This is the 
token of the True Light. But to the 
Creature and Nature it belongeth to be 
somewhat, this or that, and to intend 
and seek something, this or that, and not 
simply what is good without any Where- 
fore. And as God and the True Light 
are without all self-will, selfishness, and 
self-seeking, so do the I, the Me, the 
Mine, and the like, belong unto the 
natural and false Light ; for in all things 
it seeketh itself and its own ends, rather 
than Goodness for the sake of Goodness. 
This is its property, and the property of 


nature or the carnal man in each of us. 


144 Theologia Germanica 


Now mark how it first cometh to be 
deceived. It doth not desire nor choose 
Goodness as Goodness, and for the sake 
of Goodness, but desireth and chooseth 
itself and its own ends, rather than the 
Highest Good ; and this is an error, and 
is the first deception. 

Secondly, it dreameth itself to be that 
which it is not, for it dreameth itself to 
be God, and is truly nothing but nature. 
And because it imagineth itself to be 
God, it taketh to itself what belongeth 
to God; and not that which is God’s, 
when He is made man, or dwelleth in a 
Godlike man, but that which is God’s, 
and belongeth unto Him, as He is in 
eternity, without the creature. For, as 
it is said, God needeth nothing, is free, 
not bound to work, apart by Himself, 
above all things, and so forth (which is 
all true) ; and God is unchangeable, not 


{ 


Theologia Germanica 145 


to be moved by anything, and is with- 
out conscience, and what He doeth that 
is well done; ‘So will I be,” saith the 
False Light, ‘“‘for the more like God 
one is, the better one is, and therefore I 
will be like God and will be God, and 
will sit and go and stand at His right 
hand”: as Lucifer the Evil Spirit also 
said. Now God in Eternity is without 
contradiction, suffering and grief, and 
nothing can hurt or vex Him of all that 
is or befalleth. But with God, when 
He is made Man, it is otherwise. 

In a word: all that can be deceived 
is deceived by this False Light. Now 
since all is deceived by this False Light 
that can be deceived, and all that is 


creature and nature, and all that is not - 


God nor of God, may be deceived, and 
since this False Light itself is nature, it 


1 Isaiah xiv. 13, 14. 


L 


146 Theologia Germanica 


is possible for it to be deceived. And 
therefore it becometh and is deceived by 
itself, in that it riseth and climbeth to 
such a height that it dreameth itself to 
be above nature, and fancieth it to be 
impossible for nature or any creature to 
get so high, and therefore it cometh to 
imagine itself God. And hence it taketh 
unto itself all that belongeth unto God, 
and specially what is His as He is in 
Eternity, and not as He is made Man. 
Therefore it thinketh and declareth itself - 
to be above all works, words, customs, 
laws and order, and above that life which 
Christ led in the body which He pos- 
sessed in His holy human nature. So 
likewise it professeth to remain unmoved 
by any of the creature’s works ; whether 
they be good or evil, against God or not, 
is all alike to it; and it keepeth itself 
apart from all things, like God in 


Theologia Germanica 147 


Eternity, and all that belongeth to God 
and to no creature it taketh unto itself, 
and vainly dreameth that this belongeth 
unto it ; and deemeth itself well worthy 
of all this, and that it is just and right 
that all creatures should serve it, and do 
it homage. And thus no contradiction, 
suffering or grief is left unto it ; indeed 
nothing but a mere bodily and carnal 
perceiving : this must remain until the 
death of the body, and what suffering 
may accrue therefrom. Furthermore, ~ 
this False Light imagineth, and saith, 
that it has got beyond Christ’s life in the 
flesh, and that outward things have lost 
all power to touch it or give it pain, as 
it was with Christ after His resurrection, 
together with many other strange and 
false conceits which arise and grow up 
from these. 
And now since this False Light is ~ 


148 Theologia Germanica 


nature, it possesseth the property of 
nature, which is to intend and seek itself 
and its own in all things, and what may 
be most expedient, easy and pleasant to 
nature and itself. And because it is 
deceived, it imagineth and proclaimeth 
it to be best that each should seek and 
do what is best for himself. It refuseth 
also to take knowledge of any Good but 
its own, that which it vainly fancieth to 
be Good. And if one speak to it of the 
One, true, everlasting Good, which is 
neither this nor that, it knoweth nothing 
thereof, and thinketh scorn of it. And 
this is not unreasonable, for nature as 
nature cannot attain thereunto. Now 
this False Light is merely nature, and 
therefore it cannot attain thereunto. 
Further, this False Light saith that it 
hath got above conscience and the sense 
of sin, and that whatever it doeth is 


Theologia Germanica 149 


right. Yea, it was said by such a false 
Free Spirit, who was in this error, that 
if he had killed ten men he should have 
as little sense of guilt as if he had killed 
adog. Briefly: this false and deceived 
Light fleeth all that is harsh and contrary 
to nature, for this belongeth to it, seeing 
that it is nature. And seeing also that 
it is so utterly deceived as to dream that 
it is God, it were ready to swear by all 
that is holy, that it knoweth truly what - 
is best, and that both in belief and prac- 
tice it hath reached the very summit. 
For this cause it cannot be converted or 
guided into the right path, even as it is 
with the Evil Spirit. 

Mark further : in so far as this Light 
imagineth itself to be God and taketh 
His attributes unto itself, it is Lucifer, 
the Evil Spirit ; but in so far as it setteth 
at nought the life of Christ, and other 


150 Theologia Germanica . 


things belonging to the True Light, 
which have been taught and fulfilled by 
Christ, it is Antichrist, for it teacheth 
contrary to Christ. And as this Light 
is deceived by its own cunning and dis- 
cernment, so all that is not God, or of 
God, is deceived by it, that is, all men 
who are not enlightened by the True 
Light and its love. For all who are 
enlightened by the True Light can never 
more be deceived, but whoso hath it not 
and chooseth to walk by the False Light, 
he is deceived. 

This cometh herefrom, that all men— 
in whom the True Light is not, are bent 
upon themselves, and think much of 
themselves, and seek and propose their 
own ends in all things, and whatever is 
most pleasant and convenient to them- 
selves they hold to be best. And whoso - 
declareth the same to be best, and helpeth 


Theologia Germanica 151 


and teacheth them to attain it, him they 
follow after, and maintain to be the best 
and wisest of teachers. Now the False 
Light teacheth them this very doctrine, 
and showeth them all the means to 
come by their desire; therefore all those 
follow after it, who know not the True 
Light. And thus they are together 
deceived. 

It is said of Antichrist, that when he 
cometh, he who hath not the seal of God 
in his forehead, followeth after him, but 
as many as have the seal follow not after 
him. This agreeth with what hath been 
said. It is indeed true, that it is good 
for a man that he should desire, or come 
by his own good. But this cannot come 
to pass so long as a man is seeking, or 
purposing his own good; for if he is to 
find and come by his own highest good, 
he must lose it that he may find it. [As 


ro Theologia Germanica 


Christ said: “He who loveth his life 
shall lose it.” That is; he shall forsake ~ 
and die to the desires of the flesh, and 
shall not obey his own will nor the lusts 
of the body, but obey the commands of 
God and those who are in authority over 
him, and not seek his own, either in 
spiritual or natural things, but only the 
praise and glory of God in all things. 
For he who thus loseth his life shall find _ 
it again in Eternal Life. That is: all - 
the goodness, help, comfort, and joy 
which are in the creature, in heaven or 
on earth, a true lover of God findeth 
comprehended in God Himself; yea, 
unspeakably more, and as much nobler 
and more perfect as God the Creator is 
better, nobler, and more perfect than His 
creature. But by these excellences in 
the creature the False Light is deceived, 
and seeketh nothing but itself and its 


Theologia Germanica 153 


own in all things. Therefore it cometh 
never to the right way. | 

Further, this False Light saith, that — 
we should be without conscience or sense 
of sin, and that it is a weakness and 
folly to have anything to do with them : 
and this it will prove by saying that 
Christ was without conscience or sense 
of sin. We may answer and say: Satan — 
is also without them, and is none the 
better for that. Mark what a sense of — 
sin is. It is that we perceive how man ~ 
has turned away from God in his will 
(this is what we call sin), and that this 
is man’s fault, not God’s, for God is 
guiltless of sin. Now, who is there that 
knoweth himself to be free from sin save 
Christ alone? Scarcely will any other 
affirm this. Now he who is without 
sense of sin is either Christ or the Evil 
Spirit. 


154 Theologia Germanica 


Briefly: where this True Light is, 
there is a true, just life such as God 
loveth and esteemeth. And if the man’s 
life is not perfect as Christ’s was, yet it 
is framed and builded after His, and his 
life is loved, together with all that 
agreeth with decency, order, and all other 
virtues, and all Self-will, I, Mine, Me, 
and the like, is lost ; nothing is purposed 
or sought but Goodness, forthe sake of 
Goodness, and as Goodness. But where 
that False Light is, there men become 
heedless of Christ’s life and all virtue, and 
seek and intend whatever is convenient 
and pleasant to nature. From this ariseth 
a false, licentious freedom, so that men 
grow regardless and careless of every- 
thing. For the True Light is God’s 
seed, and therefore it bringeth forth the 
fruits of God. And so likewise the False 
Light is the seed of the Devil; and 


Theologia Germanica 155 


where that is sown, the fruits of the 
Devil spring up—nay, the very Devil 
himself. This ye may understand by 
giving heed to what hath been said. 


CHAPTER XLI 


How that he is to be called, and is truly, a Partaker 
of the Divine Nature, who is illuminated with the 
Divine Light, and inflamed with Eternal Love, 
and how Light and Knowledge are worth nothing 
without Love. 


f} OME may ask, “ What is it to — 
be ‘a partaker of the divine 
nature,’ or a Godlike man?” 
Answer: he who is imbued with or — 
illuminated by the Eternal or divine 
Light, and inflamed or consumed with 
Eternal or divine love, he is a Godlike 
man and a partaker of the divine nature ; 


156 Theologia Germanica 


and of the nature of this True Light we 
have said somewhat already. 

But ye must know that this Light 
or knowledge is worth nothing without 
Love. This ye may see if ye call to 
mind, that though a man may know very 
well what is virtue or wickedness, yet if 
he doth not love virtue, he is not virtuous, 
for he obeyeth vice. But if he loveth— 
virtue he followeth after it, and his love 
maketh him an enemy to wickedness, so 
that he will not do or practise it, and 
hateth it also in other men; and he. 
loveth virtue so that he would not leave 
a virtue unpractised even if he might, 
and this for no reward, but simply for 
the love of virtue. And to him virtue 
is its own reward, and he is content 
therewith, and would take no treasure 
or riches in exchange for it. Such an 
one is already a virtuous man, or he is 


Theologia Germanica 157 


in the way tobe so. And he who isa 
truly virtuous man would not cease to 
be so, to gain the whole world, yea, he 
would rather die a miserable death. 

It is the same with justice. Many a 
man knoweth full well what is just or 
unjust, and yet neither is nor ever will 
become a just man. For he loveth 
not justice, and therefore he worketh 
wickedness and injustice. If he loved - 
justice, he would not do an unjust thing ; 
for he would feel such hatred and indig- 
nation towards injustice wherever he saw 
it, that he would do or suffer anything 
that injustice might be put an end to, 
and men might become just. And he 
would rather die than do an injustice, 
and all this for nothing but the love of 
justice. And to him, justice is her own 
reward, and rewardeth him with herself ; 
and so there liveth a just man, and he 


158 Theologia Germanica 


would rather die a thousand times over 
than live as an unjust man. It is the 
same with truth: a man may know full 
well what is true or a lie, but if he loveth 
not the truth he is not a true man; but 
if he loveth, it is with truth even as with 
justice. Of justice speaketh Isaiah in 
the fifth chapter: ‘Woe unto them 
that call evil good, and good evil; that 
put darkness for light, and light for 
darkness ; that put bitter for sweet, and 
sweet for bitter!” 

Thus may we perceive that knowledge 
and light profit nothing without Love. 
We see this in the Evil Spirit; he 
perceiveth and knoweth good and evil, 
right and wrong, and the like; but 
since he hath no love for the good that 
he seeth, he becometh not good, as he 
would if he had any love for the truth 
and other virtues which he seeth. It is 


Theologia Germanica 159 


indeed true that Love must be guided — 
and taught of Knowledge, but if Know- 
ledge be not followed by love, it will 
avail nothing. It is the same with God 
and divine things. Let a man know 
much about God and divine things, nay, . 
dream that he seeth and understandeth 
what God Himself is, if he have not 
Love, he will never become like unto 
God, or a “partaker of the divine 
nature.” But if there be true Love — 
along with his knowledge, he cannot but 
cleave to God, and forsake all that is 
not God or of Him, and hate it and 
fight against it, and find it a cross and 
a sorrow. 

And this Love so maketh a man one — 
with God, that he can nevermore be 
separated from Him. 


160 Theologia Germanica 


CHAPTER XLII 


A Question: whether we can know God and not love 
Him, and how there are two kinds of Light and 
Love—a true and a false. 


ERE is an honest question ; 
namely, it hath been said that 
he who knoweth God and 

loveth Him not, will never be saved by 

his knowledge ; the which sounds as if 
we might know God and not love Him. 

Yet we have said elsewhere, that where 

God is known, He is also loved, and 

whosoever knoweth God must love Him. 


How may these things agree? Here 
ye must mark one thing. We have 
spoken of two Lights—a True and a 
False. So also there are two kinds of — 
Love, a True and a False. And each 


Theologia Germanica 161 


kind of Love is taught or guided by 
its own kind of Light or Reason. 
Now, the True Light maketh True - 
Love, and the False Light maketh 
False Love ; for whatever Light deemeth 
to be best, she delivereth unto Love as 
the best, and biddeth her love it, and 
Love obeyeth, and fulfilleth her com- 
mands. 

Now, as we have said, the False Light 
is natural, and is Nature herself. There- 
fore every property belongeth unto it 
which belongeth unto nature, such as 
the Me, the Mine, the Self, and the like ; 
and therefore it must needs be deceived 
in itself and be false; for no I, Me, or — 
Mine, ever came to the True Light or 
Knowledge undeceived, save once only ; 
to wit, in God made Man. And if we - 
are to come to the knowledge of the 
simple Truth, all these must depart and 

M 


162 Theologia Germantica 


perish. And in particular it belongeth — 
to the natural Light that it would fain 
know or learn much, if it were possible, 
and hath great pleasure, delight and 
glorying in its discernment and know- 
ledge; and therefore it 1s always longing 
to know more and more, and never 
cometh to rest and satisfaction, and the 
more it Jearneth and knoweth, the more 
doth it delight and glory therein. And. 
when it hath come so high, that it 
thinketh to know all things and to be 
above all things, it standeth on its 
highest pinnacle of delight and glory, 
and then it holdeth Knowledge to be 
the best and noblest of all things, and 
therefore it teacheth Love to love know- 
ledge and discernment as the best and 
most excellent of all things. Behold, 
then knowledge and discernment come 
to be more loved than that which is 


Theologia Germanica 163 


discerned, for the false natural Light 
loveth its knowledge and powers, which 
are itself, more than that which is 
known. And were it possible that this 
false natural Light should understand 
the simple Truth, as it is in God and in 
truth, it still would not lose its own 
property, that. is, it would not depart 
from itself and its own things. Behold, 
in this sense there is knowledge, without 
the love of that which is or may be 
known. 

Also this Light riseth and climbeth 
so high that it vainly thinketh that it 
knoweth God and the pure, simple 
Truth, and thus it loveth itself in Him. 
And it is true that God can be known 
only by God. Wherefore as this Light 
vainly thinketh to understand God, it 
imagineth itself to be God, and giveth 
itself out to be God, and wisheth to be 


164 Theologia Germanica 


accounted so, and thinketh itself to be 
above all things, and well worthy of all 
things, and that it hath a right to all 
things, and hath got beyond all things, 
such as commandments, laws, and virtue, 
and even beyond Christ and a Christian 
life, and setteth all these at nought, for 
it doth not set up to be Christ, but the 
Eternal God. And this is because 
Christ’s life is distasteful and burdensome 
to nature, therefore she will have nothing 
to do with it ; but to be God in eternity 
and not man, or to be Christ as He was 
after His resurrection, is all easy, and 
pleasant, and comfortable to nature, and 
so she holdeth it to be best. Behold, 
with this false and deluded Love, some- 
thing may be known without being 
loved, for the seeing and knowing is 
more loved than that which is known. 
Further, there is a kind of learning 


Theologia Germantica 165 


which is called knowledge; to wit, 
| when, through hearsay, or reading, or 
great acquaintance with Scripture, some 
| fancy themselves to know much, and 
| call it knowledge, and say, “I know 
this or that.” And if you ask, ‘‘ How 
| dost thou know it?” they answer, “I 
have read it in the Scriptures,” and the 
like. Behold, this they call under- 
standing, and knowing. Yet this is 
not knowledge, but belief, and many 


things are known and loved and seen 
only with this sort of perceiving and 
knowing. 

There is also yet another kind of Love, - 
which is especially false, to wit, when 
something is loved for the sake of a 
reward, as when justice is loved not for 
the sake of justice, but to obtain some- 
thing thereby, and so on. And where a 
creature loveth other creatures for the 


166 Theologia Germantca 


sake of something that they have, or 


loveth God, for the sake of something of 
her own, it is all false Love; and this 
Love belongeth properly to nature, for 
nature as nature can feel and know no 
other love than this; for if ye look 
narrowly into it, nature as nature loveth 
nothing beside herself. On this wise 
something may be seen to be good and 
not loved. 


— 


/ 


But true Love is taught and guided 


by the true Light and Reason, and this 
true, eternal and divine Light teacheth 
Love to love nothing but the One true 
and Perfect Good, and that simply for 
its own sake, and not for the sake of 
a reward, or in the hope of obtaining 
anything, but simply for the Love of 
Goodness, because it is good and hath a 
right to be loved. And all that is thus 
seen by the help of the True Light must 


Theologia Germanica 167 


also be loved of the True Love. Now 
that Perfect Good, which, we call God, 
| cannot be perceived but by the True 
Light; therefore He must be loved 
wherever He is seen or made known. 


CHAPTER XLII 


Whereby we may know a Man who is made a partaker 
of the divine Nature, and what belongeth unto 
him; and further, what is the token of a False 
Light, and a False Free-Thinker. 


URTHER mark ye; that 
when the True Love and True 


Light are in a man, the Perfect 
Good is known and loved for itself 
and as itself; and yet not so that it 
loveth itself of itself and as itself, but the 
one True and Perfect Good can and will 
love nothing else, in»so far as it is in 


168 Theologia Germanica 


itself, save the one, true Goodness. Now 
if this is itself, it must love itself, yet not 
as itself nor as of itself, but in this wise: 
that the One true Good loveth the One 
Perfect Goodness, and the One Perfect 
Goodness is loved of the One, true and 
Perfect Good. And in this sense that 
saying is true, that ‘God loveth not 
Himself as Himself.” For if there were 
ought better than God, God would love 
that, and not Himself. For in this True 
Light and True Love there neither is 
nor can remain any I, Me, Mine, Thou, 
Thine, and the like, but that Light~ 
perceiveth and knoweth that there is a 
Good which is all Good and above all 
Good, and that all good things are of 
one substance in the One Good, and 
that without that One, there is no good 
thing. And therefore, where this Light 
is, the man’s end 4nd aim is not this or 


Theologia Germanica 169 


that, Me or Thee, or the like, but only 
the One, who is neither I nor Thou, 
this nor that, but is above all I and 
Thou, this and that; and in Him 
all Goodness is loved as One Good, 
according to that saying: “All in One 
as One, and One in All as All, and 
One and all Good, is loved through 
the One in One, and for the sake of the 
One, for the love that man hath to the 
One.” 

Behold, in such a man must all thought 
of Self, all self-seeking, self-will, and 
what cometh thereof, be utterly lost and 
surrendered and given over to God, 
except in so far as they are necessary 
to make up a person. And whatever 
cometh to pass in a man who is truly 
Godlike, whether he do or suffer, all is 
done in this Light and this Love, and 
from the same, through the same, unto 


170 Theologia Germanica 


the same again. And in his heart there 
is a content and a quietness, so that he 
doth not desire to know more or less, to 
have, to live, to die, to be, or not to be, 
or anything of the kind; these become 
all one and alike to him, and he 
complaineth of nothing but of sin only. 
And what sin is, we have said already, 
namely, to desire or will anything other- 
wise than the One Perfect Good and 
the One Eternal Will, and apart from 
and contrary to them, or to wish to have 
a will of one’s own. And what is done- 
of sin, such as lies, fraud, injustice, 
treachery, and all iniquity, in short, all 
that we call sin, cometh hence, that man 
hath another will than God and the 
True Good; for were there no will but 
the One Will, no sin could ever be com- 
mitted. Therefore we may well say - 
that all self-will is sin, and there is no 


Theologia Germanica i 


sin but what springeth therefrom. And 
this is the only thing which a truly 
Godlike man complaineth of; but to 
him, this is such a sore pain and grief, 
that he would die a hundred deaths in 
agony and shame, rather than endure it ; 
and this his grief must last until death, 
and where it is not, there be sure that 
the man is not truly Godlike, or a par- 
taker of the divine nature. 

Now, seeing that in this Light and 
Love, all Good is loved in One and as 
One, and the One in all things, and in 
all things as One and as All, therefore 
all those things must be loved that 
rightly are of good report; such as 
virtue, order, seemliness, justice, truth, 
and the like ; and all that belongeth to 
God in the true Good and is His own, 
is loved and praised; and all that is 
without this Good, and contrary to it, 


172 Theologia Germanica 


is a sorrow and a pain, and is hated as 
sin, for it is of a truth sin. And he — 
who liveth in the true Light and 
true Love, hath the best, noblest, and 
worthiest life that ever was or will be, 
and therefore it cannot but be loved 
and praised above any other life. This 
life was and is in Christ to perfection, 
else He were not the Christ. 

And the love wherewith the man — 
loveth this noble life and all goodness, 
maketh, that all which he is called upon 
to do, or suffer, or pass through, and 
which must needs be, he doeth or en- 
dureth willingly and worthily, however 
hard it may be to nature. Therefore 
saith Christ: ‘‘My yoke is easy, and ~ 
My burden is light.”* This cometh — 
of the love which loveth this admirable 
life. This we may see in the beloved 


1 Matt. xi. 30. 


Theologia Germanica 173 


Apostles and Martyrs; they suffered — 
willingly and gladly all that was done 
unto them, and never asked of God 
that their suffering and tortures might 
be made shorter, or lighter or fewer, 
but only that they might remain stead- 
fast and endure to the end. Of atruth — 
all that is the fruit of divine Love in a 
truly Godlike man is so simple, plain, 
and straightforward, that he can never 


properly give an account of it by writing 
or by speech, but only say that so it is. 
And he who hath it not doth not even 
believe in it; how then can he come to 
know it? 

On the other hand, the life of the 
natural man, where he hath a lively, 
subtle, cunning nature, is so manifold 
and complex, and seeketh and inventeth 
sO many turnings and windings and 
falsehoods for its own ends, and that 


174 Theologia Germanica 


so continually, that this also is neither 
to be uttered nor set forth. 

Now, since all falsehood is deceived, 
and all deception beginneth in self- 
deception, so is it also with this false 
Light and Life, for he who deceiveth 
is also deceived, as we have said before. 
And in this false Light and Life is - 
found everything that belongeth to the 
Evil Spirit and is his, insomuch that 
they cannot be discerned apart ; for the 
false Light is the Evil Spirit, and the 
Evil Spirit is this false Light. Hereby 
we may know this. For even as the 
Evil Spirit thinketh himself to be God, 
or would fain be God, or be thought 
to be God, and in all this is so utterly 
deceived that he doth not think himself 
to be deceived, so is it also with this 
false Light, and the Love and Life that 
is thereof. And as the Devil would 


Theologia Germanica 175 


fain deceive all men, and draw them to 
himself and his works, and make them 
like himself, and useth much art and 
cunning to this end, so is it also with 
this false Light; and as no one may 
turn the Evil Spirit from his own way, 
sO no one can turn this deceived and 
deceitful Light from its errors. And 
the cause thereof is, that both these 
two, the Devil and Nature, vainly think 
that they are not deceived, and that it 
standeth quite well with them. And 
this is the very worst and most mis- 
chievous delusion. Thus the Devil and - 
Nature are one, and where nature is 
conquered the Devil is also conquered, 
and, in like manner, where nature is 
not conquered the Devil is not conquered. 
Whether as touching the outward life 
in the world, or the inward life of the 
spirit, this false Light continueth in its 


176 Theologia Germanica 


state of blindness and falsehood, so that 
it is both deceived itself and deceiveth 
others with it, wheresoever it may. 
From what hath here been said, 
ye may understand and perceive more 
than hath been expressly set forth. For 
whenever we speak of the Adam, and 
disobedience, and of the old man, of 
self-seeking, self-will, and self-serving, 
of the I, the Me, and the Mine, nature, 
falsehood, the Devil, sin; it is all one 
and ‘the same thing. These are all 
contrary to God, and remain without 


God. 


Theologia Germanica 177 


CHAPTER XLIV 


How nothing is contrary to God but Self-will, and 
how he who seeketh his own Good for his own sake, 
findeth it not; and how a Man of himself neither 
knoweth nor can do any good Thing. 


aught which is contrary to 
God and the true Good? I 
say, No. Likewise, there is nothing 
without God, except to will otherwise 
than is willed by the Eternal Will; 
that is, contrary to the Eternal Will. 
Now the Eternal Will willeth that 
nothing be willed or loved but the 
Eternal Goodness. And where it is 
otherwise, there is something contrary 
to Him, and in this sense it is true 


} that he who is without God is contrary 


N 


OW, it may be asked; is there — 


178 Theologia Germanica 


to God ; but in truth there is no Being 
contrary to God or the true Good. 

We must understand it as though 
God said: ‘‘He who willeth without 
Me, or willeth not what I will, or 
otherwise than as I will, he willeth con- 
trary to Me, for My will is that no one 
should will otherwise than I, and that 
there should be no will without Me, 
and without My will; even as without 
Me, there is neither Substance, nor Life, 
nor this, nor that, so also there should 
be no Will apart from Me, and without 
My will.” And even as in truth all 
beings are one in substance in the Perfect 
Being, and all good is one in the One 
Being, and so forth, and cannot exist 
without that One, so shall all wills be 
one in the One Perfect Will, and there 
shall be no will apart from that One. 
And whatever is otherwise is wrong, 


Theologia Germantica 179 


-and contrary to God and His will, and 


therefore it is sin. Therefore all will 
apart from God’s will (that is, all self- 
will) is sin, and so is all that is done 
from self-will. So long as a man seeketh 
his own will and his own highest Good, 
because it is Ais, and for his own sake, 
he will never find it; for so long as he 
doeth this, he is not seeking his own 
highest Good, and how then should he 
find it? For so long as he doeth this, 
he seeketh himself, and dreameth that he 
is himself the highest Good ; and seeing 
that he is not the highest Good, he 
seeketh not the highest Good, so long 
as he seeketh himself. But whosoever 


_seeketh, loveth, and pursueth Goodness 


as Goodness and for the sake of Good- 
ness, and maketh that his end, for 


nothing but the love of Goodness, not 


: 


: 


for love of the I, Me, Mine, Self, and 


180 Theologia Germanica 


the like, he will find the highest Good, 
for he seeketh it aright, and they who 
seek it otherwise do err. And truly it 
is on this wise that the true and Perfect 
Goodness seeketh and loveth and pur- 
sueth itself, and therefore it findeth itself. 

It is a great folly when a man, or any 
creature, dreameth that he knoweth or 
can accomplish aught of himself, and 
above all when he dreameth that he 
knoweth or can fulfil any good thing, 
whereby he may deserve much at God’s 
hands, and prevail with Him. If he 
understood rightly, he would see that 
this is to put a great affront upon God. 
But the True and Perfect Goodness 
hath compassion on the foolish simple 
man who knoweth no better, and 
ordereth things for the best for him, 
and giveth him as much of the good 
things of God as he is able to receive. 


Theologia Germanica 181 


But as we have said afore, he findeth - 
and receiveth not the True Good so 
long as he remaineth unchanged ; for 
| unless Self and Me depart, he will never 
| find or receive it. 


EHYAPTER XLV 


How that where there is a Christian Life, Christ 
dwelleth, and how Christ's Life is the best and 
most admirable Life that ever hath been or can be. 


DI e E who knoweth and _ under- 
de standeth Christ’s life, knoweth 
and understandeth Christ Him- 
self; and in like manner, he who 
understandeth not His life, doth not 
understand Christ Himself. And he 
who believeth on Christ, believeth that 
His life is the best and noblest life that 


can be, and if a man believe not this, 


: 


182 Theologia Germanica 


neither doth he believe on Christ Him- — 
self. And in so far as a man’s life is - 
according to Christ, Christ Himself 
dwelleth in him, and if he hath not the 
one neither hath he the other. For ~ 
where there is the life of Christ, there is 
Christ Himself, and where His life is not, 
Christ is not, and where a man hath His 
life, he may say with St. Paul, “I live, 
yet not I, but Christ liveth in me.”? 
And this is the noblest and best life; 
for in him who hath it, God Himself 
dwelleth, with all goodness. So how 
could there be a better life? When we- 
speak of obedience, of the new man, of 
the True Light, the True Love, or the 
life of Christ, it is all the same thing, 
and where one of these is, there are they 
all, and where one is wanting, there is 
none of them, for they are all one in 


1 Galatians ii. zo. 


Theologia Germanica 183 


truth and substance. And whatever 
may bring about that new birth which 
maketh alive in Christ, to that let us 
cleave with all our might and to nought 
else; and let us forswear and flee all 
that may hinder it. And he who hath 
received this life in the Holy Sacrament, 
hath verily and indeed received Christ, 
and the more of that life he hath 
received, the more he hath received of 
Christ, and the less, the less of Christ. 


184 Theologia Germanica 


CHAPTER XLVI 


How entire Satisfaction and true Rest are to be 


found in God alone, and not in any Creature; and — 


how he who will be obedient unto God, must also 
be obedient to the Creatures, with all Quietness, 
and be who would love God, must love all Things 


in One. 


to find all his satisfaction in 
God, hath enough ; and this is 
true. And he who findeth satisfaction 
in aught which is this and that, findeth 
it not in God; and he who findeth it in 
God, findeth it in nothing else, but in 
that which is neither this nor that, but 
is All. For God is One and must be 
One, and God is All and must be All. 
And now what is, and is not One, is not 
God ; and what is, and is not All and 


T is said, that he who is content _ 


Theologia Germanica 185 


above All, is also not God, for God is 
One and above One, and All and above 
All. Now he who findeth full satis- 
faction in God, receiveth all his satisfac- 
tion from One source, and from One 
only, as One. And a man cannot find — 
all satisfaction in God, unless all things 
are One to him, and One is All, and 
something and nothing are alike.’ But 
where it should be thus, there would be 
true satisfaction, and not else. 

Therefore also, he who will wholly 
commit himself unto God and be obedient 
to Him, must also resign himself to all 
things, and be willing to suffer them, 
without resisting or defending himself 
or calling for succour. And he who 
doth not thus resign or submit himself 


1 Literally augAt and nought, icht und nicht ; but aught means 
any thing, the idea of the original is emphatically some thing, 
a part, not the whole.—Tr. 


186 Theologia Germanica | 
to all things in One as One, doth not — 
resign or submit himself to God. Let 
us look at Christ. And he who shall 
and will lie still under God’s hand, must 
lie still under all things in One as One, 
and in no wise withstand any suffering. 
Such an one were a Christ. And he who — 
fighteth against affliction, and refuseth to 
endure it, is truly fighting against God. 
That is to say, we may not withstand— 
any creature or thing by force of war, 
either in will or works. But we may 
indeed, without sin, prevent affliction, or — 
avoid it, or flee from it. 

Now he who shall or will love God, - 
loveth all things in One as All, One and 
All, and One in All as All in One ; and 
he who loveth somewhat, this or that, 
otherwise than in the One, and for the 
sake of the One, loveth not God, for he 
loveth somewhat which is not God. 


Theologia Germanica 187 


Therefore he loveth it more than God. 
Now he who loveth somewhat more than 
God or along with God, loveth not God, 
for He must be and will be alone loved, 
and verily nothing ought to be loved but 
God alone. And when the true divine 
Light and Love dwell in a man, he loveth ~ 
nothing else but God alone, for he loveth 
God as Goodness and for the sake of 
Goodness, and all Goodness as One, and 
one as All; for, in truth, All is One and 
One is All in God. 


CHAPTER XLVII 


A Question: Whether, if we ought to love all Things, 
we ought to love Sin also? 


fIOME may put a question here 
} and say: “ If we are to love all 
things, must we then love sin 
too?” Janswer: No. When I say “all 


188 Theologia Germanica 


things,” I mean all Good; and all that. 
is, is good, in so far as it hath Being. 
The Devil is good in so far as he hath 
Being. In this sense nothing is evil, or 
not good. But sin is to will, desire, or 
love otherwise than as God doth. And 
Willing is not Being, therefore it is not 
good. Nothing is good except in so far 
as it isin God and with God. Now all 
things have their Being in God, and more 
truly in God than in themselves, and 
therefore all things are good in so far as 
they have a Being, and if there were 
aught that had not its Being in God, it 
would not be good. Now behold, the 
willing or desiring which is contrary to 
God is not in God; for God cannot will 
or desire anything contrary to Himself, 
or otherwise than Himself. Therefore 
it is evil or not good, and is merely 
nought. 


: Theologia Germanica 189 


God loveth also works, but not all 

works. Which then? Such as are 
done from the teaching and guidance 
of the True Light and the True Love; 
and what is done from these and in 
these, is done in spirit and in truth, and 
what is thereof, is God’s, and pleaseth 
Him well. But what is done of the 
false Light and false Love, is all of 
the Wicked One; and especially what 
happeneth, is done or left undone, 
wrought or suffered from any other will, 
or desire, or love, than God’s will, or 
desire, or love. This is, and cometh 
to pass, without God and contrary to 
God, and is utterly contrary to good 
works, and is altogether sin. 


190 Theologia Germanica 


CHAPTER XAEVil 


How we must believe certain Things of God’s Truth 
beforehand, ere we can come to a true Knowledge 
and Experience thereof. 


HRIST said, “‘ He that believeth 

not,” or will not or cannot 

believe, ‘shall be damned.” 
It is so of a truth; for a man, while he— 
is in this present time, hath not know- 
ledge; and he cannot attain unto it, 
unless he first believe. And he who — 
would know before he believeth, cometh 
never to true knowledge. We speak 
not here of the articles of the Christian 
faith, for every one believeth them, and 
they are common to every Christian 
man, whether he be sinful or saved, 
good or wicked; and they must be 


Theologia Germanica 1g! 


believed in the first place, for without 
that, one cannot come to know them. 

_ But we are speaking of a certain Truth — 
which it is possible to know by experience, 

but which ye must believe in, before that 

ye know it by experience, else ye will 

never come to know it truly. This is 

the faith of which Christ speaketh in—— 
that saying of His. 


CreAPT ER SLI 


Of Self-will, and how Lucifer and Adam fell away 
Srom God through Self-will. 


©)T hath been said, that there is - 
2 of nothing so much in hell as 
of self-will. The which is true, 
for there is nothing else there than self- 


will, and if there were no self-will, there — 
would be no Devil and no hell. When 


192 Theologia Germanica 


it is said that Lucifer fell from Heaven, 
and turned away from God and the like, © 
it meaneth nothing else than that he ~ 
would have his own will, and would 
not be at one with the Eternal Will. 
So was it likewise with Adam in Para- 
dise. And when we say Self-will, we 
mean, to will otherwise than as the One . 
and Eternal Will of God willeth. 


CHAPTERS 


How this present Time is a Paradise and outer 
Court of Heaven, and how therein there is only 
one Tree forbidden, that is, Self-will. 

» 


Gray HAT is Paradise? All things 
iN NAG), that are; for all are goodly 

AM 
may fitly be called a Paradise. It is - 


and pleasant, and therefore 


said also, that Paradise is an outer court 


Theologia Germanica 193 


of Heaven. Even so this world is verily — 
an outer court of the Eternal, or of 
Eternity, and specially whatever in Time, 
or any temporal things or creatures, 
manifesteth or remindeth us of God 
or Eternity; for the creatures are a 
guide and a path unto God and Eternity. 
Thus this world is an outer court of 
Eternity, and therefore it may well be 
called a Paradise, for it is such in truth. 
'And in this Paradise, all things are 
lawful, save one tree and the fruits 
‘thereof. That is to say: of all things - 
that are, nothing is forbidden and nothing 
‘is contrary to God but one thing only : 
that is, Self-will, or to will otherwise 
than as the Eternal Will would have 
it. Remember this. For God saith to 
Adam, that is, to every man, ‘“‘ What- 
ever thou art, or doest, or leavest un- 


done, or whatever cometh to pass, is all 
O 


194 Theologia Germanica 


lawful and not forbidden if it be not 
done from or according to thy will, but 
for the sake of and according to My 
will. But all that is done from thine own 
Will is contrary to the Eternal Will.” — 
_ It is not that every work which is 
thus wrought is in itself contrary to the 
Eternal Will, but in so far as it is 
wrought from a different will, or other- 
wise than from the Eternal and Divine 
Will. : 


CHAPTER 


Wherefore God hath created Self-will, seeing that it 


is so contrary to Him. 


this tree, to wit, Self-will, is 
so contrary to God and the 
Eternal Will, wherefore hath God created 
it, and set it in Paradise?” 


Theologia Germanica 195 


Answer: whatever man or creature 
desireth to dive into and understand the 
secret counsel and will of God, so that 
he would fain know wherefore God doeth 
this, or doeth not that, and the like, 
desireth the same as Adam and the 
Devil. For this desire is seldom from 
aught else than that the man taketh 
delight in knowing, and glorieth therein, 
and this is sheer pride. And so long as — 
this desire lasteth, the truth will never 
be known, and the man is even as Adam 


or the Devil. A truly humble and en- _ 


lightened man doth not desire of God 
that He should reveal His secrets unto 
him, and ask wherefore God doeth this or 
that, or hindereth or alloweth such a thing, 
and so forth; but he desireth only to know 
how he may please God, and become 
as nought in himself, having no will, and 
that the Eternal Will may live in him, 


196 Theologia Germanica 


and have full possession of him, un- 
disturbed by any other will, and how its 
due may be rendered to the Eternal Will, 
by him and through him. 

However, there is yet another answer 
to this question, for we may say: the 
most noble and delightful gift that is 
bestowed on any creature is that of 
perceiving, or Reason, and Will. And 
these two are so bound together, that 
where the one is, there the other is also. 
And if it were not for these two gifts, 
there would be no reasonable creatures, 
but only brutes and brutishness; and 
that were a great loss, for God would 
never have His due, and behold Himself 
and His attributes manifested in deeds 
and works ; the which ought to be, and 
is, necessary to perfection. Now, be- 
hold, Perception and Reason are created 
and bestowed along with Will, to the 


Theologia Germanica 197 


intent that they may instruct the will 
}and also themselves, that neither per- 


}ception nor will is of itself, nor is nor 
ought to be unto itself, nor ought to 
seek or obey itself. Neither shall they 
turn themselves to their own advantage, 
nor make use of themselves to their 
own ends and purposes; for His they 
are from Whom they do proceed, and 
unto Him shall they submit, and flow 
back into Him, and become nought 
in themselves, that is, in their selfish- 
ness. 

But here ye must consider more par- 
ticularly, somewhat touching the Will. 
There is an Eternal Will, which is in 
God a first principle and substance, apart 
from all works and effects,! and the same 
will is in Man, or the creature, willing 
certain things, and bringing them to 


1 Or realisation, wirklichkeit. 


198 Theologia Germanica 


pass. For it belongeth unto the Will, 
and is its property, that it shall will 


something. What else is it for? For 


it were in vain, unless it had some work 
to do, and this it cannot have without 
the creature. Therefore there must be 
creatures, and God will have them, to 
the end that the Will may be put in 
exercise by their means, and work, which 
in God is and must be without work. 
Therefore the will in the creature, which 
we call a created will, is as truly God’s 
as the Eternal Will, and is not of the 


creature. 


‘ 


And now, since God cannot bring 


His will into exercise, working and 
causing changes, without the creature, 
therefore it pleaseth Him to do so in 
and with the creature. Therefore the 
will is not given to be exerted by the 
creature, but only by God, who hath a 


Theologia Germanica 199 


right to work out His own will by means 
of the will which is in man, and yet 
is God’s. And in whatever man or 
creature it should be purely and wholly 
thus, the will would be exerted not by 
the man but by God, and thus it would 
not be self-will, and the man would not 
will otherwise than as God willeth ; for 
God Himself would move the will and 
not man. And thus the will would be ~ 
one with the Eternal Will, and flow out 
into it, though the man would still keep 
his sense of liking and disliking, pleasure 
and pain, and the like. For wherever 
the will is exerted, there must be a sense 
of liking and disliking ; for if things go 
according to his will, the man liketh it, 
and if they do not, he disliketh it, and 
this liking and disliking are not of the 
man’s producing, but of God’s. [For 


whatever is the source of the will, is the 


200 Theologia Germanica 


source of these also.]* Now the will 
cometh not of man but of God, therefore 
liking and disliking come from Him also. 
But nothing is complained of, save only 
what is contrary to God. So also there 
is no joy but of God alone, and that 
which is His and belongeth unto Him. 
And as it is with the will, so is it also - 


with perception, reason, gifts, love, and 
all the powers of man; they are all of 
God, and not of man. And wherever - 
the will should be altogether surrendered 
to God, the rest would of a certainty be 
surrendered likewise, and God would 
have His right, and the man’s will would 
not be his own. Behold, therefore hath 
God created the will, but not that it 
should be self-will. 

Now cometh the Devil or Adam, that - 


1 This sentence is found in Luther’s edition, but not in 
that based on the Wurtzburg Manuscript. 


Theologia Germanica 201 


is to say, false nature, and taketh this 
will unto itself and maketh the same its 
own, and useth it for itself and its own 
ends. And this is the mischief and 
wrong, and the bite that Adam made in 
the apple, which is forbidden, because it 
is contrary to God. And therefore, so — 
long as there is any self-will, there will 
never be true love, true peace, true rest. 
This we see both in man and in the 
Devil. And there will never be true ~ 
blessedness either in time or eternity, 
where this self-will is working, that is 
to say, where man taketh the will unto 
himself and maketh it his own. And if —- 
it be not surrendered in this present 
time, but carried over into eternity, it 
may be foreseen that it will never be 
surrendered, and then of a truth there 
will never be content, nor rest, nor 
blessedness ; as we may see by the Devil. 


202 Theologia Germanica 


If there were no reason or will in the 
creatures, God were, and must remain 
for ever, unknown, unloved, unpraised, 
and unhonoured, and all the creatures 
would be worth nothing, and were of 
no avail to God. Behold thus the 
question which was put to us is answered.’ 
And if there were any who, by my much 
writing (which yet is brief and profitable 
in God), might be led to amend their 
ways, this were indeed well-pleasing 
unto God. 

That which is free, none may call his 
own, and he who maketh it his own, 
committeth a wrong. Now, in the 
whole realm of freedom, nothing is so 
free as the will, and he who maketh it 
his own, and suffereth it not to remain 
in its excellent freedom, and free nobility, 
and in its free exercise, doeth a grievous 


1 Namely, why God hath created the will. 


Theologia Germanica 203 


wrong. This is what is done by the 
Devil and Adam and all their followers. 
But he who leaveth the will in its noble 
freedom doeth right, and this doth Christ 
with all His followers. And whoso 
robbeth the will of its noble freedom 
and maketh it his own, must of necessity 
as his reward, be laden with cares and 
troubles, with discontent, disquiet, un- 
rest, and all manner of wretchedness, 
and this will remain and endure in time 
and in eternity. But he who leaveth 
the will in its freedom, hath content, 
peace, rest, and blessedness in time and in 
eternity. Wherever there is a man in 
whom the will is not enslaved, but 
continueth noble and free, there is a 
true freeman not in bondage to any, 
one of those to whom Christ said : 
“The truth shall make you free”; and 
immediately after, he saith : “If the Son 


204 Theologia Germanica 


shall make you free, ye shall be free 
indeed.” * 

Furthermore, mark ye that where the 
will enjoyeth its freedom, it hath its 
proper work, that is, willing. And — 
where it chooseth whatever it will 
unhindered, it always chooseth in all 
things what is noblest and best, and all 
that is not noble and good it hateth, and 
findeth to be a grief and offence unto it. 
And the more free and unhindered the - - 
will is, the more is it pained by evil, 
injustice, iniquity, and in short all manner 
of wickedness and sin, and the more do 
they grieve and afflict it. This we see 
in Christ, whose will was the purest and 
the least fettered or brought into bondage 
of any man’s that ever lived. So like-_- 
wise was Christ’s human nature the most 
free and single of all creatures, and yet 


1 John viii. 32-36. 


Theologia Germanica 205 


felt the deepest grief, pain, and indig- 
nation at sin that any creature ever felt. 
But when men claim freedom for their 
own, so as to feel no sorrow or indignation 
at sin and what is contrary to God, but 
say that we must heed nothing and care 
for nothing, but be, in this present time, 
as Christ was after His resurrection, and 
the like ;—tthis is no true and divine 
freedom springing from the true divine 
Light, but a natural, unrighteous, false, 
and deceitful freedom, springing from 
a natural, false, and deluded light. 

Were there no self-will, there would 
be also no ownership. In heaven there 
is no ownership; hence there are found 
content, true peace, and all blessedness. 
If any one there took upon him to call 
anything his own, he would straightway 
be thrust out into hell, and would become 
an evil spirit. But in hell every one will 


206 Theologia Germanica 


have self-will, therefore there is all —- 
manner of misery and wretcheduess. 
So is it also here on earth. But if~ 
there were one in hell who should get 
quit of his self-will and call nothing his 
own, he would come out of hell into 
heaven. Now, in this present time, 
man is set between heaven and hell, and 
may turn himself towards which he will. 
For the more he hath of ownership, the 
more he hath of hell and misery; and 
the less of self-will, the less of hell, and 
the nearer he is to the Kingdom of 
Heaven. And could a man, while on 
earth, be wholly quit of self-will and 
ownership, and stand up free and at 
large in God’s true light, and continue 
therein, he would be sure of the 
Kingdom of Heaven. He who hath ~ 
something, or seeketh or longeth to have 
something of his own, is himself a slave ; 


Theologia Germanica 207 


and he who hath nothing of his own, nor 
seeketh nor longeth thereafter, is free 
and at large, and in bondage to none. 
All that hath here been said, Christ 
taught in words and fulfilled in works 
for three-and-thirty years, and He 
teacheth it to us very briefly when He 
saith: ‘Follow Me.” But he who 
will follow Him must forsake all things, 
for He renounced all things so utterly as 
no man else hath ever done. Moreover, 
he who will come after Him, must take up - 
the cross, and the cross is nothing else 
than Christ’s life, for that is a bitter 
cross to nature. Therefore He saith: 
“And he that taketh not his cross, and 
followeth after Me, is not worthy of 
Me, and cannot be My disciple.”? But 
nature, in her false freedom, weeneth she 
hath forsaken all things, yet she will 


1 Matt. x. 38, and Luke xiv. 27. 


208 Theologia Germanica 


have none of the cross, and saith she 
hath had enough of it already, and 
needeth it no longer, and thus she is 
deceived. For had she ever tasted the 
cross she would never part with it again. 
He that believeth on Christ must believe 
all that is here written. 


CHAPTER Zi 


How we must take those two Sayings of Christ: 
“No Man cometh unto the Father, but by Me,” and 
“ No Man cometh unto Me, except the Father 
which hath sent Me draw him.” 


HRIST saith: ‘* No man cometh 
unto the Father, but by Me.”? 

Now mark how we must come— 

unto the Father through Christ. The ~ 
man shall set a watch over himself and 


1John xiv. 6. 


ri 

Theologia Germanica 209 
all that belongeth to him within and 
without, and shall so direct, govern, and 
guard his heart, as far as in him lieth; 
that neither will nor desire, love nor 
longing, opinion nor thought, shall 
spring up in his heart, or have any 
abiding-place in him, save such as are 
meet for God and would beseem him 
well, if God Himself were made Man. 
And whenever he becometh aware of 
any thought or intent rising up within 
him that doth not belong to God and 
were not meet for Him, he must resist 
it and root it out as thoroughly and as 
speedily as he may. 

By this rule he must order his outward 
behaviour, whether he work or refrain, 
speak or keep silence, wake or sleep, 
go or stand still. In short: in all his 
ways and walks, whether as touching his 
own business, or his dealings with other 

P 


210 Theologia Germanica 


men, he must keep his heart with all 
diligence, lest he do aught, or turn aside 
to aught, or suffer aught to spring up or 
dwell within him or about him, or lest 
anything be done in him or through 
him, otherwise than were meet for God, 
and would be possible and seemly if God 
Himself were verily made Man. 

Behold ! he, in whom it should be thus, 
whatever he had within, or did without, 
would be all of God, and the man would 
be in his life a follower of Christ more 
truly than we can understand or set 
forth. And he who led such a life 
would go in and out through Christ ; 
for he would be a follower of Christ : 
therefore also he would come with Christ 
and through Christ unto the Father. 
And he would be also a servant of 
Christ, for he who cometh after Him is 
His servant, as He Himself also saith: 


Theologia Germanica 211 


“If any man serve Me, let him follow 
Me; and where I am, there shall also 
my servant be.”* And he who is thus 
a servant and follower of Christ, cometh 
to that place where Christ Himself is ; 
that is, unto the Father. As Christ 
Himself saith: “Father, I will that 
they also, whom Thou hast given Me, 
be with Me where I am.”? Behold, 
he who walketh in this path, “entereth 
in by the door into the sheepfold,” 
that is, into eternal life; ‘“‘and to him 


the porter openeth”;* but he who. 


entereth in by some other way, or 
vainly thinketh that he would or can 
come to the Father or to eternal blessed- 
ness otherwise than through Christ, is 
deceived ; for he is not in the right 
Way, nor entereth in by the right Door. 
Therefore to him the porter openeth 


1 John xii, 26. 2 John xvii. 24. 8 John x. 1, 3. 


; 


212 Theologia Germanica 


not, for he is a thief and a murderer, as 
Christ saith. | 

Now, behold and mark, whether one 
can be in the right Way, and enter tal 
by the right Door, if one be living in 
lawless freedom or license, or disregard 
of ordinances, virtue or vice, order or 
disorder, and the like. Such liberty we 
do not find in Christ, neither is it in 


any of His true followers. 


CHAPTER 


Considereth that other saying of Christ, “ No Man 
can come unto Me, except the Father, which hath 
sent Me, draw him.” 


HRIST hath also said: ‘No 
man cometh unto Me, except 
the Father, which hath sent 
Me, draw him.” ’ Now mark: by the 


1 John vi. 44. 


Theologia Germanica 213 


Father, I understand the Perfect, Simple 
Good, which is All and above All, and 
without which and besides which there 
: is no true Substance, nor true Good, and 
without which no good work ever was 
or will be done. And in that it is All, 
it must be in All and above All. And 
‘it cannot be any one of those things 
which the creatures, as creatures, can 
comprehend or understand. For what- 
ever the creature, as creature (that is, in 
her creature kind), can conceive of and 
understand, is something, this or that, 
and therefore is some sort of creature. 
And now if the Simple Perfect Good 
were somewhat, this or that, which the 
creature understandeth, it would not be 
the All, nor the Only One, and therefore 
not Perfect. Therefore also it cannot 
be named, seeing that it is none of all 
“the things which the creature as creature 


214 Theologia Germanica 


can comprehend, know, conceive, or 
name. Now behold, when this Perfect - 
Good, which is unnameable, floweth into 
a Person able to bring forth, and bringeth 
forth the Only-begotten Son in that 
Person, and itself in Him, we call it the 
Father. 

Now mark how the Father draweth - 
men unto Christ. When somewhat of - 
this Perfect Good is discovered and 
revealed within the soul of man, as it 
were in a glance or flash, the soul con- 
ceiveth a longing to approach unto the 
Perfect Goodness, and unite herself with 
the Father. And the stronger this 
yearning groweth, the more is revealed 
unto her; and the more is revealed unto 
her, the more is she drawn toward the 
Father, and her desire quickened. Thus - 
is the soul drawn and quickened into a 
union with the Eternal Goodness. And 


Theologia Germanica 215 


this is the drawing of the Father, and — 
thus the soul is taught of Him who 
draweth her unto Himself, that she can- 
not enter into a union with Him except 
she come unto Him by the life of Christ. 
Behold, now she putteth on that life of 
which I have spoken afore. 

Now see the meaning of these two 
sayings of Christ’s. The one, “ No man 
cometh unto the Father, but by Me” ; 
that is, through My life, as hath been set 
forth. The other saying, ““No man 
cometh unto Me, except the Father draw 
him” ; that is, he doth not take My life 
upon him and come after Me, except he 
be moved and drawn of My Father ; that 
is, of the Simple and Perfect Good, of 
which St. Paul saith; ‘when that which 
is Perfect is come, then that which is in 
part shall be done away.” That is to 
say ; in whatever soul this Perfect Good 


216 Theologia Germanica 


is known, felt and tasted, so far as may 
be in this present time, to that soul all 
created things are as nought compared 
with this Perfect One, as in truth they 
are; for beside or without the Perfect 
One, is neither true Good nor true 
Substance. Whosoever then hath, or 
knoweth, or loveth, the Perfect One, 
hath and knoweth all goodness. What 
more then doth he want, or what is all 
that ‘is in part” to him, seeing that all 
the parts are united in the Perfect, in 
One Substance ? 

What hath here been said, concerneth 
the outward life, and is a good way or 


access unto the true inward life; but 
the inward life beginneth after this. 
When a man hath tasted that which 
is perfect as far as is possible in 
this present time, all created things and 
even himself become as nought to him. 


Theologia Germanica 217 


And when he perceiveth of a truth that - 
the Perfect One is All and above All, 
he needs must follow after Him, and 
ascribe all that is good, such as Substance, 
Life, Knowledge, Reason, Power, and 
the like, unto Him alone and to no 
creature. And hence followeth that the 
man claimeth for his own neither 
Substance, Life, Knowledge, nor Power, 
Doing nor Refraining, nor anything that 
we can call good. And thus the man ~— 
becometh so poor, that he is nought in 
: himself, and so are also all things unto 
him which are somewhat, that is, all 
created things. And then there begin- — 
neth in him a true inward life, wherein 
from henceforward, God Himself dwell- 
~ eth in the man, so that nothing is left in 
him but what is God’s or of God, and 
nothing is left which taketh anything 
unto itself. And thus God Himself, — 


218 Theologia Germanica 


that is, the One Eternal Perfectness, alone 
is, liveth, knoweth, worketh, loveth, 
willeth, doeth and refraineth in the man. 
And thus, of a truth, it should be, and ~ 
where it is not so, the man hath yet far 
to travel, and things are not altogether 
right with him. 

Furthermore, it is a good way and ~ 
access unto this life, to feel always that 
what is best is dearest, and always to 
prefer the best, and cleave to it, and 
unite oneself to it. First: in the crea- 
tures. But what is best in the creatures? 
Be assured : that, in which the Eternal 
Perfect Goodness and what is thereof, 
that is, all which belongeth thereunto, 
most brightly shineth and worketh, and 
is best known and loved. But what is 
that which is of God, and belongeth unto 
Him? I answer : whatever with justice — 
and truth we do, or might call good. 


Theologia Germanica 219 


When therefore among the creatures 
the man cleaveth to that which is the 
best that he can perceive, and keepeth 
steadfastly to that, in singleness of heart, 
he cometh afterward to what is better 
and better, until, at last, he findeth and 
tasteth that the Eternal Good is a Per- 
fect Good, without measure and number 
above all created good. Now if what is 
best is to be dearest to us, and we are to 
follow after it, the One Eternal Good 
must be loved above all and alone, and 
we must cleave to Him alone, and unite 
ourselves with Him as closely as we 
may. And now if we are to ascribe- 
all goodness to the One Eternal Good, 
as of right and truth we ought, so 
must we also of right and truth ascribe 
unto Him the beginning, middle, and 
end of our course, so that nothing re- 
main to man or the creature. So it 


220 Theologia Germanica 


should be of a truth, let men say what 
they will. 
Now on this wise we should attain 


unto a true inward life. And what then _ 


further would happen to the soul, or 
would be revealed unto her, and what 
her life would be henceforward, none 
can declare or guess. For it is that 
which hath never been uttered by man’s 
lips, nor hath it entered into the heart 
of man to conceive. 

In this our long discourse, are briefly 
comprehended those things which ought 
of right and truth to be fulfilled : to wit, 
that man should claim nothing for his 
own, nor crave, will, love, or intend any- 
thing but God alone, and what is like 
unto Him, that is to say, the One, Eter- 
nal, Perfect Goodness. 

But if it be not thus with a man, and 
he take, will, purpose, or crave, some- 


Theologia Germanica 221 


what for himself, this or that, whatever 
it may be, beside or other than the 
Eternal and Perfect Goodness which is 
God Himself, this is all too much and a 
great injury, [and hindereth the man 
from a perfect life; wherefore he can 
never reach the Perfect Good, unless he 
first forsake all things and himself first 
of all. For no man can serve two— 
masters, who are contrary the one to the 
other ; he who will have the one, must 
let the other go. Therefore if the 
Creator shall enter in, the creature must 


depart. Of this be assured]. 


222 Theologia Germanica 


CHAPTERVEY 


How a Man shall not seek his own, either in Things 
spiritual or natural, but the Honour of God only ; 
and how he must enter in by the right Door, to 
wit, by Christ, into Eternal Life. 


F a man may attain thereunto, 
to be unto God as his hand is 
to a man, let him be therewith 
content, and not seek farther. [This 

is my faithful counsel, and here I take 

my stand. That is to say, let him= 
strive and wrestle with all his might to 
obey God and His commandments so 
thoroughly at all times and in all things, 
that in him there be nothing, spiritual or 
natural, which opposeth God; and that 
his whole soul and body with all their 
members may stand ready and willing 


Theologia Germanica 223 


for that to which God hath created 
them; as ready and willing as his hand 
is to a man, which is so wholly in his 
power, that in the twinkling of an eye, 
he moveth and turneth it whither he 
will. And when we find it otherwise 
with us, we must give our whole diligence 
to amend our state; and this from love 
and not from fear, and in all things 
whatsoever, seek and intend the glory 
and praise of God alone. We must not 
seek our own, either in things spiritual 
or in things natural.] It must needs be 
thus, if it is to stand well with us. And 
every creature oweth this of right and 
truth unto God, and especially man [to 
whom, by the ordinance of God, all 
creatures are made subject, and are 
servants, that he may be subject to and 
serve God only]. 


Further, when a man hath come so — 


224 Theologia Germanica 


far, and climbed so high, that he thinketh 
and weeneth he standeth sure, let him 
beware lest the Devil strew ashes and his — 
own bad seed on his heart, and nature 
seek and take her own comfort, rest, 
peace, and delight in the prosperity of 
his soul, and he fall into a foolish, law- 
less freedom and licentiousness, which is | 
altogether alien to, and at war with, a 
true life in God. And this will happen — 
to that man who hath not entered, or 
refuseth to enter in by the right Way 
and the right Door (which is Christ, as 
we have said), and imagineth that he 
would or could come by any other way 
to the highest truth. He may perhaps _ 
dream that he hath attained thereunto, 
but verily he is in error. 

And our witness is Christ, who de-_ 
clareth : ‘‘ Verily, verily, I say unto you, 
He that entereth not by the door into 


Theologia Germanica 225 


the sheepfold, but climbeth up some 
other way, the same is a thief and a 
robber.”* [A thief, for he robbeth God 
of His honour and glory, which belong 
to God alone; he taketh them unto 
himself, and seeketh and purposeth him- 
self. A murderer, for he slayeth his - 
own soul, and taketh away her life, 
which is God. For as the body liveth 
by the soul, even so the soul liveth by 
God. Moreover, he murdereth all those 
who follow him, by his doctrine and 
example. For Christ saith: “1 came 
down from heaven, not to do Mine own 
will, but the will of Him that sent Me.” ? 
And again: “ Why call ye Me Lord, 
Lord?”* as if he would say, it will 
avail you nothing to Eternal Life. And 
again: “Not every one that saith unto 
Me Lord, Lord, shall enter into the 
1 Johnx.1. ? John vi. 38. ? Luke vi. 46. 
Q 


226 Theologia Germanica 


Kingdom of Heaven ; but he that doeth 
the will of My Father which is in 
Heaven.”? But Hlevsaith@alcoce ae 
thou wilt enter into life, keep the 
commandments.”* And what are the 
commandments? “To love the Lord ~ 
thy God with all thy heart, with all thy 
soul, and with all thy strength, and with 
all thy mind; and to love thy neigh- 
bour as thyself.”* And in these two | 
commandments all others are briefly 
comprehended. 

There is nothing more precious to - 
God, or more profitable to man, than 
humble obedience. In His eyes, one~ 
good work, wrought from true obedience, 
is of more value than a hundred thousand, 
wrought from self-will, contrary to 
obedience. Therefore he who hath this - 
obedience need not dread Him, for such 


1 Matt. vii. 21. 2 Matt. xix. 17 3 Luke x. 27. 


Vheologia Germanica 227 


a man is in the right way, and following 
after Christ. | 

That we may thus deny ourselves, and 
forsake and renounce all things for God’s 
sake, and give up our own wills, and die 
unto ourselves, and live unto God alone 
and to His will, may He help us, who 
gave up His will to His Heavenly 
Father,—Jesus Christ our Lord, to 
whom be blessing for ever and ever. 
Amen. 


THE END 


Printed by R. & R. Crark, Luwrrep, Edindurgh. 


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